Hikari and the Soul Edge
by Phoenix Neo
Summary: Hikari Kamai, daughter of Kai Kamai, is thrust into an adventure when her home is destroyed and her family goes missing. As she searches for them, she becomes involved in something that is much bigger than she could've ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1: Next Generation

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 1: Next Generation**

_Many years ago, after the great battle between darkness and light, a great sword was forged by the race of men. While the sword was forged to protect from darkness, the sword was soon engulfed in bloodshed and the evils men's souls. The sword was soon possessed by an evil spirit that took over the mind of anyone who held it._

_The spirit of the sword took the lives of many men, until it eventually disappeared without a trace. Soon, the world forgot about the sword and the destruction it caused. But nothing disappears forever…_

After his many adventures across the world, Kai married Hazel and settled down in a place called Wyvern Hill. Despitethe Hill's many deadly dragons, the two of them lived quite peacefully.

Kai had grown quite a lot since he was a teenager. He was quite muscular from his daily training. He wore a red shirt, a large yellow jacket, blue pants, and brown boots. Tied around his large, right arm was his old bandana.

Kai had finished fishing for that day. He then carried his large catch; which consisted of several large fish, many regular-sized fish, and one gigantic fish that was just as big as Kai himself; back to his house.

Kai's house was a good-sized house that was perfect for a family. It was surrounded by a large garden. The whole place was protected by a fence.

"I'm home!" Kai announced as he walked through the front gate of the fence.

Hazel looked through the kitchen window when she heard him. She then stopped what she was doing, walked over to the front door, and opened it. Hazel wore a beautiful white dress and brown shoes. On her left ring finger was her golden wedding ring. Her long hair flowed gracefully down her back.

"Welcome home," Hazel cheerfully said. "It looks like the big ones came out today."

Hazel was looking at the large fish that hung over Kai's shoulder.

"I seriously didn't expect to catch this thing," Kai said. "It just means we'll be having fish for dinner for the next couple of days."

"More like couple of weeks," Hazel said. "I guess I'll harvest some vegetables to go with the fish."

Hazel then helped Kai carry his catch to the large freezer out back.

"By the way, have you seen Hikari?" Kai asked. "It's time for our sword training."

"She and Takeshi disappeared after breakfast," Hazel answered. "I'm not sure where…they…are."

The two of them then realized what Hazel had said.

"I'll go find her," Kai said as he ran away from the house.

Meanwhile, in a field further down the hill, Kai's two children were hiding behind some bushes. The younger of the two was the ten-year-old Takeshi. He wore a blue magician's robe with the hood off of his head.

The other was a 16-year-old girl with long, brunette hair. She wore a red bandana on top of her head. She wore a red shirt, blue pants, and brown boots. Tied around her waist was a brown, leather belt. On her hands was a pair of brown gloves. On her back was a large, silver sword that was much like Kai's original sword.

The two of them were spying on a gigantic Garchomp as it walked into the field.

"What are we doing here, Hikari?" Takeshi asked.

"I'm doing some training," Hikari answered.

Takeshi looked surprised.

"Don't tell me that you're going to fight that thing!" Takeshi exclaimed.

"Yep," Hikari answered, with her attention still focused on the Garchomp. "I think that my swordsmanship training would go better if I fight some real opponents."

"Then why did you bring me along?" Takeshi asked.

"If he proves to be too tough, then you can try to get back to the house before any more arrive," Hikari answered.

Takeshi now looked scared. Hikari knew that her brother was a little bit of a coward. He had always been one. In order to toughen him up, she would always bring him along on her escapades.

"I'm going in," Hikari said to the shivering Takeshi.

Takeshi tried to stop Hikari, but she had already jumped out of the bushes. Garchomp turned its attention towards Hikari.

"Alright, ugly!" Hikari shouted. "Let's dance!"

The Garchomp hungrily looked towards Hikari and charged straight for her. Hikari gracefully jumped out of the way. Garchomp turned around and saw Hikari charging towards it. Garchomp then used the blades that protruded from its elbows to block Hikari's attack.

Hikari and Garchomp continued to exchange blows. Garchomp tried to slice Hikari horizontally, but Hikari slid underneath it and got behind it. She then jumped up and sliced down on top of Garchomp. Garchomp passed out from the blow. Hikari then looked triumphant.

"Not even a vicious dragon can defeat me!" Hikari exclaimed. "That proves that I'm the greatest swordswoman in the world! Right, Takeshi?"

She turned towards Takeshi and immediately had a surprised/guilty look on her face. Her father was standing there, lifted Takeshi with one hand by the hood of his robe.

"Hello, dad," Hikari said sheepishly.

"How many times have I told you not to aggravate the dragons?" Kai asked in a low, angry voice.

Though Kai wasn't yelling (which was something he never tended to do), Hikari could tell just how much trouble she was in.

"Please don't tell mom," Hikari begged.

"I won't, even though she does deserve to know," Kai said. "But you will meet me in the dojo in one hour. Bring your sword."

Hikari was surprised that she wouldn't be dragged to her mom, but she was afraid of what her dad had in store for her.

One hour later, Hikari stepped towards the family dojo, which was hidden in the woods behind the house. Hikari stepped into the building and looked for her father.

"Dad?" Hikari asked.

"Outside arena," Kai answered from outside.

Hikari walked out back and saw her father standing in the middle of the outside arena. The outside arena sat just behind the dojo. It was completely made of carved stone from around the area.

Kai had his legendary Excalibur on his side.

"We'll be battling to decide your punishment," Kai said. "Draw your sword."

Hikari stepped into the arena and drew her sword.

"If you win, you're free to go," Kai said. "But if I win, you must clean every inch of the dojo."

"No problem," Hikari said. "I've been training for this moment!"

"Charge at me," Kai said.

Hikari charged forward and swung her sword. Kai swiftly dodged her attack. Hikari continued to slice towards her father with her full strength. Kai merely moved from side to side to dodge. Hikari swung one more time, and Kai disappeared.

"Where did he…" Hikari began.

"Swinging your sword wildly is no way to fight," Kai said.

Before Hikari could turn around, Kai merely hit her neck with a swift chop and knocked her out. When she woke up, she found herself inside the dojo. Kai had prepared some tea.

"Here you go," Kai said. "It's Raspberry."

Hikari began to drink the tea.

"You'll need the energy to clean up the entire dojo," Kai laughed.

Hikari looked downhearted. Kai then sat down next to her.

"You put too much anger into your swings," Kai said. "You have the determination, but you don't have the right mind-set."

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked.

Kai took a sip of his tea.

"The sword-style I'm teaching you is one I developed myself," Kai said. "I taught myself swordsmanship in order to protect those around me. The swords that you and I wield must never be used for personal gain. We wield the sword that protects. Our strength comes from our will to save the lives of what we care about."

Hikari looked surprised by what her father had just told her. Kai finished his tea and stood up.

"I'll start cleaning the dojo," Kai said. "You join me when you finish your tea."

Hikari smiled at her father as he left the room. After cleaning the dojo, Hikari and Kai enjoyed their dinner with the rest of the family. Hikari then went out for a walk through the woods.

Hikari thought about the lesson her father had taught her.

"My strength comes from the need to protect?" Hikari thought. "I don't completely understand what he meant by that, but I'll try."

Once Hikari's head was clear of all thought, she began to head home. As she walked home, she was surprised to see her younger brother running to her in a panic.

"Hikari!!" Takeshi cried.

"What's wrong?" Hikari asked.

"It's…Dad!" Takeshi cried, his eyes filled with tears. "He and Mom are in danger!"

"What?!" Hikari exclaimed.

Hikari immediately rushed home with her brother right behind her. When she could finally see her home, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Half of the house had been completely demolished, all of the crops had been smashed, and her mom was passed out on the ground. Hikari then saw that her father was battling against a strange woman.

The woman had short, bluish-green hair. She wore a skimpy green and purple outfit. She wore green lipstick and had a purple stripe on her left cheek. She wielded a large, ring-shaped blade. On her face was a playful and malicious smile.

"You are quite a fun toy to play with," the girl said in a light, giddy voice.

"You think that this is fun?!" Kai asked. "How dare you attack my family?!"

Kai began to fight against the girl. She gracefully parried every attack that Kai performed. Kai also blocked all of her attacks. She eventually got a hit in. Kai's right shoulder began to bleed profusely.

"It looks like I broke my new toy," the girl said.

"Damn," Kai growled as he began to cast a **Curaga** spell on his shoulder.

The girl took this chance to slide behind Kai and strike him on the back.

"You're too old for fighting," the girl laughed. "You can't move to quickly."

"I'll admit that I'm not as quick as I once was, but I still have a trick up my sleeve," Kai said.

Kai began to focus all of his energy into his body. His whole body began to glow brightly.

"What is this?" the girl asked.

Kai's eyes began to glow golden.

"**Giga Impact**!!" Kai shouted.

He then released the energy in a large explosion. The girl brought her ring blade up to give her some protection. When the explosion faded, Kai had passed out from the force of the attack. Because she had brought up her ring in time, the girl was still awake after the blast.

"You burnt me!" she growled in a deeper voice. "You're going to die!"

Hikari felt a powerful energy well up inside of her. Before she knew it, Hikari was charging forward. She swung her sword down to strike down at the girl. She rose up her blade to block the attack just in time.

"You dare stand in my way?!" the girl shouted. "You will die first!"

The girl swung her blade down, but Hikari blocked it. She and the other girl were having a power-struggle at this point.

"Takeshi!" Hikari managed to shout out. "Use your power to get Mom and Dad out of here! I don't care where you go, just move! No matter what Mom and Dad say, don't come back!"

"What about you?!" Takeshi cried.

"Don't worry about me!" Hikari shouted. "MOVE!!"

Hikari knocked the other girl away. Takeshi then made a run for his parents. He grabbed Hazel first and then pulled her towards Kai as Hikari led the other girl away from them. Takeshi then began to focus his magic.

The murderous woman then noticed Takeshi and pushed Hikari away. She ran towards Takeshi.

"You won't get away!" the woman shouted.

She then saw that Hikari's sword was right next to her.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Hikari said. "Your opponent is me!"

The other girl then tried to fight Hikari off as she ran towards Takeshi. Takeshi used his powers as a Geomancer to summon the wind around him.

"Be careful," Takeshi said as the three of them disappeared.

When they were completely gone, the other girl growled.

"How dare you?!" the woman scowled.

She sliced Hikari with enough force to blow her back. Hikari slammed into a tree and fell to the ground.

"You are dead!" the woman shouted as she lifted her blade up.

As she slammed her blade down, Hikari's blade began to glow with a blue light. For an instant, it became a completely different sword. It was a completely blue sword from the tip of the blade down to the base of the handle. It glowed with a light that brightened the night sky. The girl screamed as the light filled her eyes. She then stumbled away. Before Hikari knew it, the girl was gone and her sword had returned to normal.

"What just happened?" Hikari asked herself.

She then stood up. Her home was gone. Her family had disappeared. It finally hit Hikari that she was alone.

"Nothing will be gained by staying here," Hikari said as she stood up. "There's only one thing to do: find my family."

With a newfound strength and purpose, Hikari dug through the remains of her house and gathered the supplies she needed. She then placed it all in a magic bag that her father's friend had given them. She tied the bag to her waist and placed the sword on her back.

She rested that night. The following morning, she left home.

"I don't know if I'll ever be back," Hikari thought, "but I can't think about that right now. I have to find my family at any cost."

Hikari took one last look at the remains of her home and left without a word. She didn't know where she was going or what awaited her in the world beyond the mountains, but she knew one thing for sure: nothing would stop her from finding her family.


	2. Chapter 2: Magical Ally

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 2: Magical Ally**

Hikari finally made it down the hill and entered the forest at the base. As she traveled deeper into the woods, she realized a not-so-happy truth.

"I'm lost," Hikari groaned.

Because Hikari had never traveled on her own before, she had no orienteering experience. As she stared at her compass and map, Hikari knew that she had no idea what she was doing.

"If dad was here, he'd know where to go," Hikari said to herself.

She sighed and continued through the forest. Little did she know, however, that she was being watched from the bushes around her.

Hikari eventually stopped her trek to get some lunch. She pulled out her lunch, which consisted of onigiri, the extra fish that didn't get destroyed, and some water, and began to eat. As she ate, she thought about what had happened for the past few days.

She eventually finished her food and stood up. She then heard something step on a twig in the bushes and focused her attention around her. She saw that a whole pack of something was surrounding her.

"This isn't good," Hikari thought.

Suddenly, the creatures attacked. A whole pack of Wolfos jumped out of the woods and surrounded Hikari.

"They must've been attracted by my lunch," Hikari said to herself.

The Wolfos then charged towards her. Hikari fought off as many as she could as they jumped forward.

"I can't fight them all off!" Hikari thought. "I'd better make a run for it!"

Hikari then knocked some away to form a path out. She then ran away as fast as she could. The Wolfos weren't about to let their prey get away, so they began their pursuit. Hikari ran deeper and deeper into the woods as she attempted her escape from the hungry creatures that chased her. She soon reached the edge of a cliff. She looked down and saw that a river was far down below her.

"Dead end!" Hikari thought.

She turned around and saw that the Wolfos had cornered her.

"Alright," Hikari thought. "Jump or fight? What should I do?"

The Wolfos slowly approached the cornered Hikari. Hikari continued to decide between the two dangers. Eventually, she turned around and made for the cliff. The Wolfos tried to catch her, but Hikari managed to jump off of the cliff before they caught her.

Hikari screamed as loud as she could as she fell towards the water. After a long fall, there was a splash, and she passed out.

Meanwhile, further down the river, an 18-year-old young man wearing a blue robe and a yellow wizard's cap was fishing in the river. He had blonde hair that was almost completely hidden by his hat and blue eyes. Along with the wizard's outfit, he wore a pair of brown boots. He looked completely bored.

"I haven't had a single catch all day," the mage thought.

He yawned out of sheer boredom until he saw a body float down the river.

"What's that?" the mage asked himself.

He then jumped into the river and began to swim towards the body. Though he didn't know who it was, the person he had rescued was our heroine, Hikari.

"What happened to her?" the mage thought.

He pulled her out of the water and checked her breathing and pulse.

"She's definitely alive," he said to himself. "I'd better get her warm and out of the wet clothes."

He picked her up with one hand, lifted her sword and his fishing rod with the other, and walked away from the river.

That evening, Hikari slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the bright fire shining through the night.

"So you're awake," a guy's voice said.

Hikari looked up to see the mage sitting across from her.

"What…happened?" Hikari asked with all of the energy she could.

"You were floating down the river," the mage said. "I found you while I was fishing. I got you out of your wet clothes and gave you one of my extra robes. It's a little big, but at least you're warm."

Hikari noticed that she was wearing a blue robe that was too large for her.

"Your own clothes should be dry soon," the mage said. "Have some dinner and relax."

The mage handed Hikari some fish that was cooking on the open fire. Hikari took a bite of the outdoor-prepared bass.

"It's delicious," Hikari said.

"If there's one thing I'm confident in, it's my cooking skill," the mage said. "By the way, my name's Kenji Somenosuke."

"I'm Hikari," Hikari replied. "Hikari Kamai."

"Good to meet you, Hikari," Kenji said. "Let's talk after we fill our bellies."

Kenji and Hikari continued to eat their fish. After they were through, they put the fish bones in a pile and just sat down by the fire.

"So why were you floating down the river anyway?" Kenji asked. "Isn't your family worried about you?"

Hikari now looked more downhearted.

"My family's missing," Hikari said.

Kenji looked a bit confused.

"How about you tell me the whole story," Kenji said.

Hikari told Kenji everything about the mysterious girl that attacked her home. She also told him about how her family escaped and how she ran away from the Wolfos in the woods. Her story ended when she jumped into the river.

"That's quite a tale," Kenji said. "So you're traveling around to find out where your family disappeared to."

"Right," Hikari said. "I won't give up until I find them."

"You definitely sound determined," Kenji said.

"By the way, why are you here?" Hikari asked. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Not exactly," Kenji said. "I'm just a wandering magician. I go wherever the wind blows me. I've been doing this for a while now."

"Really?" Hikari asked, now interested in the mage's tale.

"Yep," Kenji said. "But that's enough about me. Let's get to sleep. The moon's up in the sky now. Let's sleep until sunrise."

Hikari and Kenji slept by the warm fire. The following morning, Hikari got up and changed her clothes. After she finished, she saw that Kenji was getting up.

"Morning," Kenji said. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," Hikari said. "Thanks for everything, Kenji. It's about time I head on out."

"This is your first time adventuring, right?" Kenji asked. "It'd probably be a good idea to have someone by your side in case you get into trouble, like you did with the Wolfos. From now until you find your family, I promise to be your guardian."

"You don't have to…" Hikari began.

"I won't take 'no' for an answer," Kenji said. "I'm going with you. But we'd be best to put out the fire first."

Kenji pointed the palm of his right hand towards the fire.

"**Blizzard**," Kenji said.

A gust of cold wind shot from his hand and blew out the fire.

"I may not look like it, but I've got some magic experience under my belt," Kenji said. "Having a mage in your party usually is a good idea."

"I guess," Hikari said.

"Starting today, we're partners," Kenji said as he held out his hand towards Hikari.

Hikari then reached out her hand and shook Kenji's.

"Alright," Kenji said. "Let's get moving."

"Just how do we get out of here?" Hikari asked.

"That's no problem for me," Kenji said. "I've got a special tool."

"Do you mean a compass?" Hikari asked.

"Even better," Kenji said. "Check this out."

He pulled out a light-blue feather. Hikari looked confused when he pulled it out.

"What's the feather for?" Hikari asked.

"It's a Seeking Feather," Kenji said. "These babies can find almost anything anywhere."

"Could it find my family?" Hikari asked.

"Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to this feather," Kenji said. "The thing's so old that it can't track people anymore, and it's near impossible to find another one. But we can use it to find cities and other places."

"All you need to do is focus on where you want to go," Kenji said. "And then…"

Kenji began to focus. The feather then began to spin around until it stopped. The tip of the feather pointed in an angle to the left.

"There we go," Kenji said. "The nearest town is that way."

Kenji and Hikari then began to follow the direction that the feather pointed out. Hikari knew that she had found someone she could trust. What adventures lie ahead for Hikari and Kenji? Only time will tell.


	3. Chapter 3: Hikari's New Mission

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 3: Hikari's New Mission**

Hikari and Kenji soon made it out of the woods, where they stepped into a famous town for adventurers.

"Here we are," Kenji said. "Everwood, the most-known port town in the entire world."

Hikari looked around at her surroundings. Many adventurers walked through the streets, shopping for any supplies they needed. Ships filled with treasures and supplies were sailing in and out of the docks of Everwood. Hikari was amazed with what she saw.

"Is this the first time you've been out of the mountains?" Kenji asked.

"No," Hikari said. "My father once took me to a tournament in the Mushroom Kingdom, but I've never been to a city like this before."

"Well, this place is famous for its Adventuring Guild, where you can basically get any information you'll ever need," Kenji said. "This is definitely the place to start if you're looking for someone."

Hikari and Kenji began to explore the city. As they walked through the streets, they saw shops and vendors selling various foods, weapons, and other stuff to the people that passed by them.

They eventually made it to the Adventuring Guild. They immediately walked inside. The first room was filled with tables where the adventurers and clients sat down to eat and chat. Hikari and Kenji sat down at the bar in the room.

"What ya having?" the bartender asked.

"Bring us 5 bowls of chicken wings," Kenji said.

"But one of our bowls is enough to fill a family!" the bartender exclaimed.

"We'll need it," Kenji said.

Half an hour later, everyone in the room was staring at Hikari and Kenji. The two of them were chugging down every single bit of food in the bowls. Soon, the two of them were done.

"Food has never tasted so good," Hikari said.

"Traveling in the woods does that to you," Kenji said. "That's why I always carry a good amount of money wherever I go. I need enough for food and sleep."

"Excuse me," an old man said as he walked up to them.

Neither Hikari nor Kenji recognized the old man who walked up to them. The old man had grey hair, a grey beard, and a grey mustache. He wore a blue shirt with floral prints all over it and a pair of red pants.

"Are you talking to us?" Hikari asked.

"Sorry," the old man said. "You just looked like someone I knew. Do you happen to know someone named Kai Kamai?"

Hikari nearly jumped when she heard the name.

"You know my father?!" Hikari exclaimed, filled with renewed hope. "Do you know where he is?!"

Later, Hikari and Kenji joined the old man for tea in his office.

"So my father worked for you, Mr. Gus," Hikari said.

"That's right," Gus said as he pulled out a picture. "I still remember the day he and his friends first came to my Guild."

Gus handed Hikari and Kenji the picture. The picture showed the younger Kai, Hazel, Serena, Toad, and Zero alongside the younger Gus. They were all standing happily outside of the building.

"They were probably the happiest fighters I ever worked with," Gus said. "Especially your father, Hikari. He'd get so excited whenever he got back from and adventure just because he'd get a bite to eat."

Hikari giggled at this a bit, but they soon got back to seriousness.

"So what did you want to ask me?" Gus asked.

"We were hoping you knew where my mom and dad are," Hikari said.

"Unfortunately, I do not," Gus said. "I'm sorry."

"Well," Kenji said. "It looks like we reached a dead end."

"I do hope you find them," Gus said.

"I've got one other question," Hikari said.

Kenji and Gus seemed intrigued.

"It's about the person who attacked my home," Hikari said. "She had ocean-green hair and wore a skimpy green outfit. Her weapon is a large ring blade. Do you know anything about her?"

The whole room was silent for a minute.

"So **she** came after you," Gus said.

"Who?!" Hikari exclaimed.

"I don't know much, but I'll tell you what I do know," Gus said. "There's a rumor that some girl with a ring blade has been killing many people around the world. She seems to like going for powerful swordsmen and the like."

"That must've been why she went after your dad, Hikari," Kenji said.

"But why is she going after the strong guys?" Hikari asked.

"I don't know that either," Gus said. "But I do know her name."

"What is it?" Hikari asked.

"She goes by the name of Tira," Gus said.

"Doesn't sound like the name of a mass murderer," Kenji commented.

"Thank you, Mr. Gus," Hikari said.

"I wish I could be of more help to you," Gus said. "How about you two stay the night here for free. It'll be better than paying for a hotel."

"Thank you," Hikari and Kenji said.

That night, while everyone else was asleep, Hikari thought about what she had learned that day.

"So her name's Tira," Hikari thought. "Now I have a lead."

The following morning, Gus met with Hikari and Kenji just outside of the Guild.

"Remember that you can come by any time you want," Gus said. "I'll try to get more info on Tira and on your family."

"Thanks," Hikari said. "We'll see ya later."

Hikari and Kenji waved good-bye to Gus as they left the Guild. They picked up some supplies that they needed and left town. They followed a dirt road that led to the next town.

"Kenji," Hikari eventually said as they hiked across the road.

"What?" Kenji asked.

"A couple of things," Hikari said. "First, thanks for coming with me."

"It's nothing," Kenji said.

"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have found out that girl's name," Hikari said. "I'd probably not even be here right now."

"So what's this second thing you need?" Kenji asked.

Hikari stopped. Kenji then stopped and turned to face her.

"I…need to do something before I find my family," Hikari said.

Kenji looked confused and interested at the same time.

"Before I can face my family, I have to fight and defeat Tira," Hikari said. "She can't be allowed to live for what she's done. If...if you want to leave, you can."

Kenji was silent for a moment. He then continued to walk.

"Let's get moving," Kenji said. "She's not just going to pop out in front of us, is she?"

Hikari looked up happily at Kenji. This wasn't the answer she expected.

"I promised you that I'd guard you until you found your family," Kenji said. "If you have to do a few things before you meet up with them, then I'll just have to follow you through them all."

"Thank you, Kenji," Hikari said.

"Alright," Kenji said. "Let's hurry. We have to see if we can get info in the next town."

Hikari followed Kenji down the road. The road was much longer than they anticipated, however, and they were forced to set up camp in a nearby field that was surrounded by trees. Hikari heard something rustling in the nearby trees and woke up. She grabbed her sword and prepared to defend herself.

"Kenji," Hikari whispered. "Get up."

But Kenji was in too deep of a sleep to awaken. After several attempts of waking Kenji up, Hikari gave up and focused on what was hiding in the trees. Suddenly, a strange creature jumped out of the woods. It was a gigantic lizard that walked on two legs like a man. It wore armor on its body and wielded an axe and a shield.

"What the?!" Hikari exclaimed.

The creature spotted Hikari and charged right for her. Hikari rose her sword up for a block, which prevented the axe from reaching her body. The creature took the opportunity to slam Hikari with its axe and force her into a tree. The lizard pinned Hikari up against the tree and readied its axe.

"**Thunder**!" Kenji shouted.

A bolt of lightning struck the lizard. The lizard, in fear of another bolt of lightning, released Hikari and ran away. Hikari began to catch her breath as Kenji walked up to her.

"It's a good thing the racket woke me up," Kenji said. "You were almost toast."

"What was that thing?!" Hikari asked. "It was too big to be a lizard, and I've never seen a dragon like that before!"

"That's a Lizardman," Kenji said.

"Lizardman?" Hikari asked.

"They're chimeras that were created through a terrible experiment," Kenji said. "As you can tell, they're half-human and half-lizard. By what I've heard, the experiment brainwashed them and completely wiped their memories as humans."

"That's horrible!" Hikari exclaimed.

"That's what happens in the real world," Kenji said. "Not everything is peace and happiness out here."

"Do you think we're going to be attacked again tonight?" Hikari asked.

"Maybe," Kenji answered. "We'd be best to have someone stand guard whenever we're not in town. You get to sleep. I'll take the first watch."

Hikari listened to her friend and lied down again. After a while, she managed to fall asleep. The following morning, after Hikari's watch, the two of them continued towards the next town. They hitched a ride on a hay-cart so they would get there faster and wouldn't be forced to camp out again.


	4. Chapter 4: Nightmare and the Soul Edge

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 4: Nightmare and the Soul Edge**

Hikari and Kenji arrived in the town of Ivalion, where they slept for the night and got up bright and early. After a whole day of asking questions, the two were disappointed with their results.

"Nobody in this whole town has even heard of Tira!" Hikari groaned as they walked down the street.

"You can't expect to find her in one day," Kenji replied. "Finding one person out of everyone in the entire world will take time."

"But this is so frustrating!" Hikari exclaimed.

"Let's get some dinner and calm down," Kenji said.

The two of them went to the town restaurant and sat down at the table.

"Ten orders of steak, please," Kenji said to the waitress.

The two of them began to chow down on their exceedingly enormous dinner. Hikari took a gulp of water and set her cup down.

"Alright," Hikari said. "We'll just hit the next town and pump it for info."

"You sound more cheerful," Kenji said.

"A full stomach always makes me feel good!" Hikari cheerfully exclaimed.

"So the whole clan was wiped out?" someone at another table asked.

Hikari and Kenji listened in to the conversation of the five adventurers at the table nearby. Sitting at the table was a group of five adventurers, each a different race. One was a human guy, another was a Viera woman, the third was a Zora woman, the fourth was a Bangaa guy, and the fifth was a Goron man (For those of you who do not know these species, look them up on Wikipedia if you have to. Two are from Final Fantasy and the other two are from Legend of Zelda).

"That sounds terrible!" the Viera exclaimed.

"That's not the worst part," the Goron said. "According to what I've heard, they were wiped out by one person."

"How were they wiped out sso eassily?" the Bangaa asked.

"Nobody knows," the Goron said.

Hikari turned to face Kenji.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Hikari asked.

"We might've found the hint we needed," Kenji replied. "Let's keep listening."

They turned their attention back to the adventurers.

"What else have you heard?" the human asked.

"I heard that this all happened at Half-Moon Peak," the Goron answered. "Anyone who walks underneath the cliff there is instantly wiped out."

"I'm not afraid of a mere rumor," the human said. "Let's take him out!"

"Don't you think it would be smarter if we gather some allies for this little venture?" the Zora asked.

"Who would be foolhardy enough to join us on a suicide mission?" the Goron asked.

"We'll do it," Hikari said as she and Kenji walked up to them.

They all looked up at the two of them.

"Are you ssure you're tough enough to keep up with uss?" the Bangaa asked.

"I've grown up on Wyvern Hill all of my life, and this guy took out a Lizardman in a single blast," Hikari said. "Trust me. We're tough."

"I guess you two can help us out," the human said. "Alright. Meet us outside of this restaurant tomorrow morning at 8:00."

Hikari and the leader of this clan shook hands. The following morning, Hikari, Kenji, and the clan they joined up with left the village and headed for Half-Moon Peak.

"Do you know who's been killing people at Half-Moon Peak?" Hikari asked.

"Not really," the Goron answered. "All I've really heard is that it's a single person that does it. Wait a minute…I think I do remember something!"

Everyone was interested in what the Goron had to say.

"Every person that has died was an expert of some form of martial art," the Goron said. "They're the only ones that the killer doesn't let escape."

"That confirms it," Hikari thought. "It's definitely her."

The visions of Tira fighting and nearly killing her father, and of the house burning shot through Hikari's mind. They soon reached Half-Moon Peak.

"This is it," the Goron said.

They all looked up at the peak. The mountain looked like any other until it reached the top. At the top of the mountain was a large patch of rock that was shaped like a crescent moon.

"So anyone who travels in the shadow of the moon is attacked?" Hikari asked.

"Exactly," the Goron said.

"Then let's prepare for combat," the leader of the clan said.

They all slowly walked towards the shadow of the moon-shaped rock. As soon as they stepped under it, they stopped in their tracks. After a minute of stressful waiting, they all calmed down.

"What a load of bull!" the Bangaa shouted. "Where iss this 'blood-thirssty killer?!"

Hikari suddenly felt something coming towards them.

"GET DOWN!!" Hikari shouted.

They all ducked down as something swiftly shot over their heads. Hikari took a look at what passed them and recognized it immediately: it was the ring blade that Tira wielded. Tira then fell from the sky and landed right next to her blade. She immediately picked it up.

"So which one of you will I play with this time?" Tira asked innocently.

Tira then noticed Hikari and a smile grew on her face.

"So you survived that day," Tira said. "You might just prove to be a potential host for Nightmare…if you live today, that is."

"Host for what?" Hikari thought.

"You don't need to worry about her!" the leader of the clan shouted to Tira.

"You sstill have to deal with uss," the Bangaa said.

The clan drew all of their weapons.

"So you want to play, huh?" Tira commented. "Fine then. I'll have some fun with you first."  
Every member of the clan charged forward.

"You idiots!" Kenji shouted. "She'll get you if you charge forward like that!"

Tira slipped past all five of the clan members and struck them all in the back with her blade. They all crashed into the ground and began to writhe with pain.

"Did I break you already?" Tira asked innocently. "Oh well. I might as well finish what I've started."

"Did you forget about me?!" Hikari shouted.

Tira turned around in time to block Hikari's downward slice. Kenji snuck past them to rescue the clan.

"This is the second time you've interrupted me!" Tira shouted in her deep voice. "You have become annoying!"

Tira knocked Hikari back and charged forward. Hikari rose up her sword to block Tira's next attack. Hikari spun around for another attack, which was promptly blocked. This continuous cycle of attack and counter continued for quite some time. Hikari attacked once more, but Tira knocked Hikari backwards with her next block. Hikari crashed into a rock-wall and fell to her knees from the pain.

"Now you will die," Tira said.

Before Tira could step forward, a gust of cold wind froze the ground in front of her. Tira slipped as soon as she stepped onto the ice and fell onto the ground. She turned around and saw that Kenji had cast a spell.

"She's not alone this time around," Kenji said as his magic power built up in his right hand again.

Kenji cast a **Fire** spell towards Tira. Tira, having seen the spell this time, slipped out of the way. Before she knew it, Hikari had risen up again. Hikari sliced Tira on the back. Tira fell to the ground.

"Not so easy when I have a friend, is it?" Hikari asked.

"Don't think that this is over!" Tira shouted.

She got up and began to run away. Hikari and Kenji attempted to chase her, but a flock of ravens flew in their path and blocked their sight. By the times the ravens disappeared, Tira was long gone.

"She escaped again!" Hikari shouted.

"Let's not worry about that for now," Kenji said. "Let's get these guys back to town and get them healed up."

Hikari and Kenji began to carry the five fighters to town. They found it nearly impossible to carry them all (especially the Goron), so the two of them hitched a ride on a passing caravan. After the five clan members were safely in the hospital, Hikari and Kenji went to their hotel. They both sat in Hikari's room in order to chat.

"Kenji, do you know what Tira was talking about earlier?" Hikari asked.

"About what?" Kenji asked.

"About this 'Nightmare'," Hikari said. "She said I'd make a good host for this thing. What was she talking about?"

Kenji looked as if he was trying hard to think of something.

"I'm not sure about the 'host' bit," Kenji said. "But I do remember something about a guy named Nightmare."

"Who is he?" Hikari asked.

"He was some swordsman that appeared out of nowhere one day," Kenji said. "It was about a year ago. I'm surprised you have never heard about it."

"I lived in the mountains, devoid of all forms of communication with civilization," Hikari said.

"Right," Kenji replied. "Anyway, Nightmare was this murderous swordsman that suddenly appeared a year ago. He always wore this strange armor. It was completely azure, except for his right arm, which looked like it belonged to a demon. Countless armies were sent after him, but he slayed him all with single swipes of his sword. Despite how invincible he was, however, he disappeared out of nowhere one day. Nobody knows what happened to the guy."

"Maybe that's what this whole 'host' thing is about," Hikari said.

"Did you know that there was another story associated with Nightmare?" Kenji asked.

"Tell me," Hikari said, full of interest.

"I think that this is merely a rumor, but he supposedly wielded a mythological sword called the Soul Edge," Kenji said. "It was said to be able to steal the soul of anyone it cut, but nothing like that really exists in this day and age."

"Maybe not, but the story does have its significance," Hikari said. "The Soul Edge is connected to Nightmare, and Nightmare is connected to Tira. That means that we have two more sources of info to go by. From now on, we have to search for any info on this Nightmare guy and the 'Soul Edge', as well as on Tira. We'll get her no matter what."

After their conversation was over, Kenji went back to his room, and Hikari went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Kupo!

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 5: Kupo!**

Hikari and Kenji rode in a caravan as they headed towards the next town. Hikari was reading a book that she had bought, for it had detailed information on the legend of the Soul Edge.

"This thing sounds creepy," Hikari said.

"We don't even know if it's real," Kenji said. "I'm pretty sure that it's a myth."

"I'm not so sure," Hikari said. "My father always said not to doubt something's existence."

"Anybody who says something like that must've seen some interesting stuff," Kenji said.

The caravan stopped abruptly, shaking the whole thing. The horses cried out as something was happening outside.

Hikari and Kenji jumped out of the caravan to see that they were being attacked by some thieves. The driver had been knocked to the ground. One thief, who wore an eye-patch over his left eye and had spiky hair was in front of the rest. He wielded a dagger.

"Hand over your loot, and we'll let you live," the thief said. "Refuse, and you'll be killed."

The thief leader then noticed Hikari.

"Hello there, little lady," the thief said as he smoothly walked up to Hikari. "How would you like to be with a real man?"

"Buzz off," Hikari said.

The thief looked pissed off.

"Nobody says that to me!" the thief shouted. "I am known as the Bandit Lord in these parts."

Before he could react, Hikari had her sword to his throat.

"Don't tempt me, buddy," Hikari said menacingly. "I'm not above slitting your throat."

The thief leader snapped his finger, and the rest of the thieves surrounded Hikari. As soon as she turned her focus on them, the leader jumped back out of Hikari's range.

"Let's see how you can deal with ten of us," the leader said.

Hikari looked over to Kenji.

"Give me one minute," Hikari said. "Then you can pick off the rest."

"Right," Kenji said as he stepped back into the caravan.

The thieves then all charged forward on their leader's command. Hikari then got into a fighting stance. A minute later, Kenji stepped out to see what was happening. Three of the thieves were passed out on the ground, four were attempting to crawl away, two were stuck in a tree, and the leader was being lifted into the air by the collar of his shirt.

"One minute alone and you cause this much havoc," Kenji said.

Hikari then tossed the leader onto the ground. He and the thieves that were conscious ran away as soon as they could.

"That felt good," Hikari said cheerfully as she wiped dust off of her hands.

Hikari and Kenji then heard something in the bushes. Hikari and Kenji got ready for battle. When nothing came out, they slowly walked to the bushes. When they moved the leaves away, they saw what was there. It was a baby Moogle that was sleeping. It then opened its eyes and looked around.

"It's so cute!" Hikari gleefully exclaimed, much to Kenji's surprise.

The Moogle yawned as Hikari picked it up.

"Kupo!" the Moogle said.

Hikari giggled with delight as she held the cute creature in her arms.

"Who are you and what have you done with my violent friend?" Kenji asked.

Hikari then held the Moogle in her left arm and hit Kenji over the head with her right.

"I like cute things, alright?" Hikari angrily said to Kenji.

"I keep forgetting that you're a girl," Kenji said. "You act more like a guy most of the time."

Hikari hit Kenji over the head once more.

"Anyway, that thing's a baby Moogle," Kenji said.

"What's a Moogle?" Hikari asked.

"It's a creature that sort of looks like a stuffed animal," Kenji said. "They usually walk around in groups, but I guess this one got separated from its family."

The Moogle began to float in the air in front of Hikari.

"Kupo!" the Moogle said once more.

"Moogles also have the ability to fly," Kenji said.

"You are just the cutest thing!" Hikari exclaimed.

"Maybe we should try to find its family," Kenji said.

"That's probably a good idea," Hikari said. "For now, however, I'll give him a name."

"Don't do that," Kenji said. "You won't be able to let go of him after that."

"Maybe I'll wait," Hikari said. "I can't seem to come up with a good name yet."

"Hey!" Kenji exclaimed. "Are you even listening to me?!"

"Let's get moving," Hikari said.

The Moogle purred as it floated next to Hikari.

"I feel so insignificant right now," Kenji said as he followed Hikari back to the caravan.

After the driver woke up, they all continued to the next town. As soon as they reached the next town, they immediately found an expert on Moogles. Kenji was doing most of the talking, for Hikari was too occupied with her new friend.

"I believe that there are any wild Moogles around here," the expert said. "Besides, Moogles always care for their young. If this one was on its own, I'd say that its parents are gone."

"That's sad," Kenji said.

Hikari looked sadly down at her Moogle. The Moogle looked confused at Hikari.

"I've got another question," Kenji said. "Why does this Moogle seem to like Hikari a lot?"

The expert looked confused.

"Did you say that you found it sleeping in the bushes?" the expert asked.

"Yes," Kenji said. "Why?"

"Some Wild Moogles tend to give birth to their young somewhere soft like bushes and patches of grass," the expert said. "This might've been the first time it's woken up. Most baby animals tend to believe that the first thing it sees is its mother."

"So Hikari's been turned into a mom?" Kenji asked.

"That's right," the expert said.

The baby Moogle giggled at Hikari.

"Then I guess we have no choice but to take care of it," Kenji said.

"So can I name it now?" Hikari asked.

"Might as well," Kenji said. "Have you thought of any…"

"Mog," Hikari said. "You're name is now Mog. Do you like that?"

"Kupo!" Mog gleefully cheered.

"Then it's settled!" Hikari exclaimed.

"How long have you been thinking of a name?" Kenji asked.

"I thought it was perfect," Hikari said. "Mog is short for Moogle."

"But…we…never mind," Kenji said. "I'll go check out the local library to see if I can find anything about taking care of Moogles."

"Mog and I'll go with you!" Hikari exclaimed.

"Kupo!" Mog cheered once more.

"Thanks for the info!" Kenji shouted back to the expert as they left.

That evening, Hikari, Mog, and Kenji began to walk to the hotel after purchasing food for Mog.

"It took a while, but at least we found food for him," Kenji said.

Out of the blue, a serious look appeared on Mog's face.

"KUPO!!" Mog cried.

Mog continued to shout out the same word rapidly as Hikari and Kenji tried to calm him down.

"What's wrong, Mog?" Hikari asked.

Suddenly, Hikari saw something on the roof of the building they were next to. The thing jumped down, wielding a pair of wave swords. He tried to slice Hikari, but Hikari managed to roll out of the way.

"What the hell was that?!" Hikari exclaimed.

She then looked up at her attacker. He wore a green hat with a red feather on it. He wore a strange outfit with fur-shoulders, metal gauntlets, leather boots, green and red pants, a long red shirt, and a leather belt. The most disturbing thing about the attacker was that his face was a skull.

"Zombie?!" Kenji exclaimed.

The zombie charged straight for Hikari. Hikari tossed Mog over to Kenji and drew her sword. She managed to block and repel the zombie's attacks. The zombie attacked over and over, which limited Hikari to her blocks.

Mog tried to get Kenji to let go of him. Kenji was having a hard time holding on to him.

"I know you want to help Hikari, Mog, but it'll be easier for her if you stay away from there!" Kenji exclaimed.

Hikari was too busy blocking the zombie's attacks to notice that she was backing up into a wall. When she hit the wall, she realized that she had blocked for the last time. Before the zombie launched its last attack, it heard something down the path. A woman and her daughter, unaware of the fight, were walking down the street. The zombie noticed the two of them and charged straight for them.

"No!" Hikari shouted. "Get away!"

Kenji and Hikari could only watch as the creature charged for the poor innocents. Before the zombie could reach the woman and her child, a bolt of lightning struck the zombie and distracted him long enough for the girls to get away. Hikari used this chance to run up behind the zombie and slash at it with her sword. The zombie brought up his swords to block, but the force of Hikari's blow knocked them both away. Realizing that he had lost the battle, the zombie ran away.

"Just what the hell was that thing?" Kenji asked.

"I think it was a zombie," Hikari said. "By the way, great shot with that spell."

"What are you talking about?" Kenji asked.

"I mean the lightning bolt that hit that thing," Hikari answered.

"I didn't cast a single spell," Kenji said. "I don't know what did it."

"If it wasn't you, then who?" Hikari asked.

"I guess we'll never know," Kenji said.

"Come on, Mog!" Hikari called. "Let's get back to the inn."

Hikari and Kenji began to walk down the street towards the town's inn. Mog followed the two of them. As he did, a small spark of electricity shot off of his fur. As they walked away, a black man in a white robe wielding a scythe was watching them. The zombie appeared next to him.

"That girl is strong, but she is of no concern for now," the mysterious man said. "But we'll continue to watch her."


	6. Chapter 6: Tournament Days

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 6: Tournament Days**

Hikari, Kenji, and Mog continue their journey across the land in search for all information on their enemy. They were traveling between two towns on a dirt road.

"Kupo!" Mog happily said as he flipped through the air.

"Is that all he can say?" Kenji asked.

"I've been trying to teach him," Hikari said. "So far, it hasn't been working."

Mog flew up to Hikari and landed in her arms. He then yawned and fell asleep.

"He's so cute!" Hikari exclaimed.

"And so expensive," Kenji said as he pulled out his nearly empty wallet. "We barely have enough money for dinner, let alone any for a hotel."

"Your point?" Hikari asked.

"My point is we need money," Kenji said.

Hikari then spotted something ahead. It was a small building.

"What's that?" Hikari asked.

Hikari and Kenji ran up to the building. There was a poster on the front door that said the following:

"Calling all warriors! A fighting tournament will be held in this dojo! There is a large cash prize!"

"That's convenient," Kenji said.

Hikari read the poster even more.

"The tournament's tomorrow morning," Hikari said. "Maybe we can compete."

"That's a pretty good idea," Kenji said.

Kenji then read the poster even more. He then saw a fine print at the bottom.

"It looks like you'll be the only one competing," Kenji said. "Magic isn't allowed."

"No problem," Hikari said. "I can handle anything in my way."

They camped out that night. The following morning, they joined a whole group of warriors and adventurers who came for the cash prize.

"Now that we've signed you up, Mog and I'll be heading to town," Kenji said. "While you're fighting, I'll go to the library and get some information on the Soul Edge."

"Alright," Hikari said.

"Be careful, Hikari," Kenji said. "We'll try to be back in time for the final round."

Kenji and Mog then left the room. Hikari then felt something watching her. She turned in the direction of whatever it was and only saw the other fighters.

"What was that?" Hikari asked.

Soon, a bunch of referees walked into the room. Most of them were wearing black suits, but the one in the middle wore a white suit.

"Welcome fighters," the one in the middle said. "I'm surprised by the turn-out. There are 32 fighters here today. Only one of you, however, will be leaving with the prize."

"That will be me," Hikari thought.

"You'll all draw a number," the one in the middle continued. "The number will determine who you'll fight throughout this tournament. Please step up when I call your name and draw a number. First is X-Crusher."

The first man, who was fat man wearing a wrestler's spandex outfit (much to Hikari's disgust), walked up to get his number. Hikari watched as each of the different fighters walked up to get their numbers as their names were called. Most of them were your run-of-the-mill adventurers who don't tend to stand out of a crowd. Hikari then spotted something odd.

"Chai Xianghua," the referee called out.

A young woman, who looked to be 20-years-old, walked up to the referee. She had short, brunette hair. She wore a blue headband, a long-sleeved Chinese-style pink shirt, and light-blue pants. She didn't look much like a fighter to Hikari.

After Xianghua had gotten her number, she ran back to another fighter. He had short, brown hair and a scar on his left cheek. He wore no shirt, but he had a shoulder pad on his left shoulder. He wore gold and black braces on his arm and a gold and black belt of the same design. He wore long, red pants and blue boots. Tied around his waist was a tattered blue cape. Around his neck was a strange crystal. In his right hand was a red bo-staff.

Right after Xianghua, the young man, whose name Hikari discovered was Kilik, walked up and got his number.

"Hikari Kamai!" the referee eventually called.

Hikari walked up to the referee to get her number.

"Pull your number out of this box," the referee said as he handed a box over to Hikari.

Hikari reached in and pulled out a slip of paper. Written on the piece of paper was the number 1.

"I must be lucky today," Hikari said.

Her name was then written under the number 1 on the tournament bracket. Soon, all of the fighters were called up and put onto the tournament bracket.

"Alright," the referee said. "Now that everyone's name has been called, you have thirty minutes to prepare for combat. The first match will be between Hikari Kamai and Stu Smith."

The referees then left. Hikari walked up to see the tournament bracket. She found that Kilik was number 15 and Xianghua was number 30.

"I wonder how Kenji is doing right now," Hikari thought.

After thirty minute, Hikari was called out of the room. She stepped into a large arena surrounded by a whole crowd of people. She faced off against Stu, who wore a pair of grieve edges on his feet.

"It's time for the first match of the tournament!" the main referee announced as the crowd roared with cheers. "We all know the rules. Whoever is knocked out for 10 seconds or is pushed out of the ring loses! No magic is allowed! The first match is between Hikari Kamai and Stu Smith. Let the match…BEGIN!"

Stu charged forward as Hikari got into a fighting stance. Stu jumped into the air and performed a roundhouse kick. Hikari dodged by ducking. After sliding behind Stu, Hikari swept her sword across the ground as Stu landed on his feet. This caused Stu to trip and fall outside of the ring.

"The winner is Hikari Kamai!" the referee shouted.

The crowd roared with excitement.

"Compared to fighting dragons and training with Dad, that was nothing," Hikari thought.

Hikari stepped out of the ring and found a seat where she could watch the rest of the matches of the first round. Hikari watched as the competition lessened one person at a time. She then watched a match that was about as short as hers.

Kilik's round was against X-Crusher. As X-Crusher charged forwards. Kilik merely slipped to the side and angled his staff just as his opponent passed by. X-Crusher tripped and rolled off of the ring.

"Ring out!" the referee shouted. "And Kilik wins!"

Kilik bowed to his opponent and stepped off.

"He's good," Hikari thought. "He's definitely better than these other bozos. Now to see just how well that girl, Xianghua, does."

Soon, the last match of the first round was about to start. Hikari was paying close attention as the fighters came out. Xianghua was wielding a small sword now.

"I'm guessing you won," Kenji said.

Hikari jumped by the sudden appearance of her magician friend and Mog.

"When did you…" Hikari began.

"Just now," Kenji said. "Anyway, why are you watching this match?"

"She was with this other guy named Kilik," Hikari said. "He's was pretty good. I'd like to see how she does. What about you? What did you find?"

"I'll tell you after the match," Kenji said. "I'd like to watch this."

Kenji pulled out a bowl of popcorn.

"Hungry?" Kenji asked.

Xianghua's opponent was a man clad in armor. He wielded a large steel spear. When the match started, the armored man charged forward. Just before he got there, however, Xianghua flipped into the air and swung her sword faster than the eye could see. She landed on her feet behind her opponent. A moment later, the spear split in half and the armored man passed out. Xianghua bowed to her opponent.

"What the hell just happened?!" Kenji asked as he dropped his bowl of popcorn.

"About 5 strikes," Hikari answered.

"What?" Kenji asked.

"About 5 strikes with her sword," Hikari answered, "give or take a few."

"You saw that?!" Kenji asked.

"My Dad taught me to see fast strikes," Hikari said. "Being able to see rapid attacks is a skill that expert swordsmen should have, especially if you fight someone with small swords."

"That's just odd," Kenji said. "Do you think you can take her?"

"It all depends on a few factors," Hikari said. "A rapid technique like that requires an opponent who doesn't know what they're doing. If I pay attention, I might be able to block most of her attacks."

After the first round, the fighters were given thirty minutes to prepare for the second. Hikari and Kenji used this chance to talk.

"So what did you find?" Hikari asked.

"I didn't find much," Kenji said. "But I did confirm one thing."

"What?" Hikari asked.

"Soul Edge is definitely real," Kenji said. "I found an ancient book of magic that described the cursed blade. It's exactly the same description that I heard in a nearby tavern from swordsmen who saw Nightmare battle. This just proves it."

Hikari was about to talk, but she felt someone watching them. She turned around and didn't see anyone.

"What's wrong?" Kenji asked.

"Someone's been watching me this whole time," Hikari said. "I don't know why."

Meanwhile, Xianghua ran up to Kilik.

"Kilik, I just heard something interesting," Xianghua said.

"What?" Kenji asked.

"That Hikari girl who's in the tournament is looking for Soul Edge too," Xianghua said.

"Why is she after it?" Kilik asked.

"I don't know," Xianghua said. "But if it's for the wrong reasons, we have to stop her."

"That's right," Kilik said. "We can find out today, during the tournament."

The tournament went on. Hikari charged right through the competition. She also watched as Kilik and Xianghua won their battles as well. Soon, the semi-finals were coming. Hikari would be up against Kilik.

"I've watched this guy fight, Hikari," Kenji said. "You have to be careful."

"Don't worry about me," Hikari said. "I can take this guy on."

Hikari then stepped into the ring. Right behind her was Kilik.

"It's time for the semi-final round!" the announcer shouted. "The first match in this round is between Hikari and Kilik!"

The crowd cheered loudly.

"Let's go!" the announcer shouted.

Hikari and Kilik got into their fighting stances. A moment later, they both charged for each other. Their two attacks collided and repelled each other. The two of them then charged again. Hikari swung her blade horizontally. Kilik ducked to dodge. He then took this chance to sweep his staff across Hikari's feet, knocking her over. Kilik then slammed his staff onto her stomach and jumped back as Hikari writhed with pain.

"Hikari!" Kenji shouted from the audience.

"Kupo!" Mog shouted.

Kilik prepared for his final attack. He focused all of his power into his staff.

"Time to finish this!" Kilik shouted.

Hikari tried to get up, but the pain was too much for her to bear.

"If I don't do anything, I'm dead!" Hikari thought.


	7. Chapter 7: The Tournament Finals

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 7: The Tournament Finals**

Kilik began to charge for Hikari. Just as he shot towards her, Hikari suddenly remembered something from when she first began the study of swordsmanship.

The young Hikari stood on the opposite side of the arena as her father, each of them wielding a wooden sword. Hikari then charged straight for him. Kai then merely swept her feet with his sword, knocking her down. He then helped her to stand.

"Hikari," Kai began. "Swordsmanship isn't about rushing forward whenever you can. In battle, you must use not only your strength, but your enemies strength as well."

"Really?" Hikari asked.

"Just like I did," Kai said. "As you charged forward, I merely had you trip over my sword. The speed at which you were running made you fall just as fast."

The flashback ended. Hikari then realized what she had to do. As Kilik charged forward, Hikari threw her sword across the ground towards his feet. Kilik saw this and jumped into the air.

"That won't work on me!" Kilik shouted.

He looked down and saw that Hikari was no longer there. He landed on the edge of ring and immediately turned around. Before he knew it, Hikari's sword was in his face.

"Checkmate," Hikari said.

Everyone in the audience was amazed.

"Nice one!" Kenji shouted.

Kenji then remembered what had happened. Right after she threw her sword, Hikari performed a barrel roll across the ground. Before Kilik hit the ground, Hikari grabbed her blade, jumped up, and prepared for the finish.

"She had him jump when running at full speed. Because he can't stop himself in mid-air, he landed right at the edge of the ring," Kenji thought. "She really knows what she's doing."

After he got through the initial shock at seeing a sword at his neck, Kilik dropped his weapon and raised his hands into the air.

"I concede," Kilik said.

The crowd cheered as Hikari withdrew her weapon.

"Amazing!" the announcer shouted. "Hikari rolled her way into a from-behind victory and made her way into the finals!"

Kenji and Mog ran down to meet up with the exhausted Hikari.

"Great job!" Kenji exclaimed.

"Kupo!" Mog squeaked as he flew around Hikari.

"It's not over yet, guys," Hikari said. "I've still got one more match."

Just then, Hikari's stomach growled.

"But first, I have to get something to eat," Hikari said.

"No problem," Kenji said. "I think that competitors eat free. I'll watch the next fight. You go and get that meal."

"Keep a close eye on that Xianghua girl," Hikari said. "She's strong. I think she's been holding back this whole time."

Hikari then left to get something to eat. She was eventually in the café, where she began to chow down. After Hikari finished her tenth plate, Kenji and Mog rushed into the room.

"Hikari!" Kenji shouted.

"What happened?" Hikari asked.

"That…that girl, Xianghua…" Kenji panted.

"What is it?" Hikari asked.

"You were right!" Kenji shouted. "She was holding back!"

"Calm down and tell me everything," Hikari said. "Sit down and get something to eat."

Kenji took a deep breath and sat down. Hikari ordered a plate as Mog ate the crumbs on Hikari's plate.

"What happened?" Hikari asked.

"Well…" Kenji began.

A flashback began. Xianghua stepped into the ring with a man dressed in a black ninja outfit. On the ninja's back was a large shuriken.

"You will not survive," the ninja said.

"You sound pretty confident," Xianghua said.

"This match is between Shado and Xianghua," the announcer said. "Let the match begin!"

Xianghua drew her sword as the ninja pulled out a few kunai knives. After the initial clash, the two warriors began to move at a speed that made them nearly invisible to everyone in the audience. They landed at opposite ends of the arena.

"These two are moving at speeds that haven't been seen for years!" the announcer exclaimed.

"You are quite impressive," Shado said.

"You are as well," Xianghua said.

"But now you will see why they call me the Illusion," Shado said as he began to form a hand-sign.

Suddenly, five more Shados appeared all around Xianghua.

"Clones?" Xianghua asked.

"Despite my title, these are no mere illusions," one of the Shados said.

"They are all very real," another said.

"Fighting me is like fighting an army," a third said.

All six of them then grabbed their large shuriken.

"I was saving this move for the finals," the first Shado said. "But I believe you deserve to taste my power."

Without pulling the shuriken off of their backs, the six Shados began to run around Xianghua in a big circle. They spun faster and faster until it looked like a whirlwind surrounded Xianghua.

"**Ninja-Art: Blade Storm**!" all six Shados shouted.

Xianghua then got into a guard stance with her sword. Suddenly, the whirlwind contracted until nobody could see what was going on inside. When the whirlwind faded, all six of the Shados, as well as Xianghua, remained standing. All of the Shados were in fighting stances while Xianghua had her sword to her side.

"What happened?" the announcer asked.

A moment later, five of the Shados disappeared in clouds of smoke. The remaining Shado fell down and passed out.

"I don't know how it happened, but Xianghua managed to evade that attack and counter it!" the announcer exclaimed. "Now that's what this tournament is supposed to be about!"

The announcer began the count. As Kenji expected, Shado hadn't woken up within the ten seconds he had.

"And that's it!" the announcer shouted. "The winner is Xianghua! She and Hikari are both going to the finals!"

The flashback ended. Hikari, Kenji, and Mog had finished eating.

"She's not only fast," Kenji said. "She's powerful. I think she's much stronger than that Kilik guy that you fought was."

"It doesn't matter," Hikari said calmly as she stood up.

"How can you be so calm?!" Kenji exclaimed.

"This isn't a life-or-death situation," Hikari said. "If I lose this tournament, we just won't have any money. I'll just give it my best shot and hope for the best."

After a short while, Hikari stepped into the ring and stood face-to-face with Xianghua. The crowd surrounding the battle arena roared with cheer.

"It's time for the final round!" the announcer shouted into the microphone. "In one corner is the bandana-wearing Hikari Kamai! In the other corner is the swift and skilled Chai Xianghua!"

Xianghua bowed to Hikari, who immediately bowed back.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…" the announcer began. "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!"

A bell rang, and the two competitors charged towards each other. The sound of clashing blades echoed throughout the entire arena as they fought. Hikari then performed a side-slash. Xianghua jumped up to dodge the sword. She then flipped in mid-air and landed behind Hikari. She then sliced her in the back. Hikari fell to the ground.

"That strike could've killed Hikari!" Kenji thought.

Hikari stood up and got into her guard stance. Xianghua charged forward and lowered her sword for a strike to the legs. Hikari prepared to guard there, but Xianghua lifted up her sword at the last second to strike Hikari at her unguarded head. Hikari fell to the ground and immediately rolled around. She then rose up for a counter-attack, but Xianghua blocked the attack and knocked Hikari onto her back.

"It looks like you don't stand a chance," Xianghua said as she lifted her blade up for a final stab.

Just as Xianghua slammed her sword downwards, Hikari's sword glowed light blue for an instant, releasing a strange wave of energy that knocked Xianghua's sword out of her hand.

"Was that magic?" the announcer asked, puzzled. "It wasn't anything I've ever seen before. I guess she hasn't broken the 'no magic' rule."

Hikari looked at her sword and saw that it was normal.

"Weird," Hikari said to herself.

Everyone in the arena looked confused at what just happened except Xianghua and Kilik, who was watching from the stands. Xianghua looked over at Kilik, who merely nodded.

"I surrender," Xianghua said as she bowed to Hikari.

The whole audience gasped with shock. Hikari had the most confused look on her face at what just happened.

"Surrender?" Hikari asked.

"Yep," Xianghua cheerfully said as she picked up her sword and jumped out of the arena.

The arena went silent for a minute.

"Well…I guess…Hikari is the champion!" the announcer shouted into the microphone.

The crowd roared with cheer after the confusion faded. Later on, Hikari, Kenji, and Mog were getting ready to leave after they were given their prize. As they were leaving, Xianghua and Kilik were standing at the door.

"No rematch!" Hikari immediately shouted.

"We don't want any rematch," Kilik said. "We wanted to talk to you about Soul Calibur."

"Soul what?" Hikari asked.

"Does it have anything to do with the Soul Edge?" Kenji asked.

"Yes," Kilik said. "More that you know. Let's discuss this matter somewhere more private."

"Sure," Hikari said.

Hikari, Kenji, and Mog followed Kilik and Xianghua to a small room. They all sat down at a table and began to eat while they talked.

"Alright," Hikari said as she put down her glass. "Do you mind explaining what you know about the Soul weapons?"

"First of all, the swords are definitely real," Xianghua said. "They are two swords that have existed for centuries."

"How can swords exist for centuries without rusting?" Hikari asked.

"Powerful magic can make any object last for a while," Kenji answered. "But to last for centuries would require magic equal to that of a…"

"Demon," Kilik answered. "There is a demon spirit that is sealed inside the Soul Edge known simply as Inferno."

"It has the ability to take over the minds of anyone who touches the sword," Xianghua said.

"That's crazy!" Hikari exclaimed.

"It seeks only one thing: to absorb souls through slaughter and regain its full power," Kilik said.

"Then what is the Soul Calibur?" Kenji asked. "Is it another soul-sucking sword of doom?"

"No," Xianghua said. "It's the exact opposite."

"The Soul Calibur is a sword that was forged to counter the power of the Soul Edge," Kilik said. "It is equal in strength and is the only thing that can truly destroy the cursed weapon."

"One more question," Hikari said. "What do those swords have to do with me?"

"That is something I'm not entirely sure of," Kilik said. "But we both saw it when you were fighting Xianghua. Your sword transformed into the form of Soul Calibur for an instant."

"Do you mean that blue sword?" Hikari asked.

"Exactly," Xianghua said. "Whether you want to or not, you're getting involved in something that will decide the fate of the entire world."

There was a long moment of silence after this. Soon, Kilik and Xianghua stood up.

"It's about time we get moving," Kilik said. "I'm sure we will cross paths again, Hikari."

"Yeah," Hikari said.

Hikari shook their hands. Xianghua and Kilik then left the room. Eventually, Hikari and Kenji left with their prize money.

They didn't speak for the longest time as they walked down the path to the next town. Kenji eventually decided to break the silence.

"So we just got involved in something bigger than we ever thought," Kenji said. "But I guess we've been involved since the beginning, right?"

"I guess," Hikari said.

"Something's on your mind," Kenji said. "What is it?"

"It's just…I wonder why I've been chosen to do this," Hikari said. "Why am I different from some other warrior?"

"I don't have the answer to that," Kenji said. "But that's what an adventure can do: answer questions. Let's learn more about your destiny as we go on."

"Sure," Hikari said.

"And just remember that I'll be by your side the whole way," Kenji said. "I made a promise to you."

Mog then fluttered by Hikari and cheerfully cried "Kupo!"

"I guess he's saying the same thing," Kenji said.

Hikari petted Mog on the head.

"Alright," Hikari said. "Let's get moving!"

With newly found confidence, Hikari began to rush forward with Kenji and Mog right behind her.


	8. Chapter 8: The Assassin

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 8: The Assassin**

Hikari, Kenji, and Mog arrived in the port town of Tortga. They wanted to purchase tickets to a ship that would cross the sea. Unfortunately…

"What do you mean the ship's not sailing?!" Hikari shouted.

They were just informed by the ship's captain that the ship they wanted to take was not leaving port that evening.

"Last night's storm took out the hull of the ship," the captain said. "It'll take another couple of days to fix. But I can guarantee you two cheaper tickets for that night."

"But…" Hikari began.

"Let's take that deal, Hikari," Kenji said. "Saving as much money as possible is necessary."

"Fine," Hikari groaned.

Hikari and Kenji bought their tickets and found a cheap inn to stay in. They then sat down in a restaurant that was famous for being a relaxing place for adventurers. The whole restaurant was filled with seasoned adventurers with years of experience under their belts.

Hikari, Kenji, and Mog were gobbling down their food.

"The food's good," Hikari said. "But this place reeks. Some of these adventurers smell like they haven't had a bath in ages."

"Did ya hear?" one of the adventurers at a nearby table asked one of his allies.

"What?" the ally asked.

"I heard that the strongest of the strong tend to get attacked at night," the first adventurer answered.

At this point, Hikari and Kenji were completely paying attention.

"That's just a rumor," the second adventurer said.

"I'm not so sure," the first adventurer said. "Someone I know got attacked last night. He ended up at the hospital and told me all about it. The person was too fast to see and strong enough to take him down."

"Really?" the second adventurer asked.

Hikari and Kenji stopped listening at this point.

"Maybe its good that we didn't end up leaving today," Hikari said.

"I'm not sure that this has to do with Soul Edge," Kenji said.

"There's a good chance that it does," Hikari said. "Remember Kilik and Xianghua? They were extremely strong **and** knew about Soul Edge. Maybe this person does as well."

"No matter what I say, you'll still investigate, won't you?" Kenji asked.

"Of course," Hikari said.

That whole day, the two of them asked around about the mysterious night assassin. They then met up at the inn to discuss what they learned.

"All I learned was that the townsfolk gave him a nickname," Hikari said. "They call him 'Dusk'."

"I learned that he goes after only the strongest of the strong," Kenji said. "They boast about their many adventures and then go out at night. That's when they're attacked."

"Maybe, if I carry my sword with me at night, I'll get attacked by Dusk as well," Hikari said.

"It's too dangerous," Kenji said. "You aren't going out alone."

"Dusk only attacks people that are alone," Hikari said.

"Then I'll give you this," Kenji said as he pulled out a small communicator.

The communicator was in the form of an earpiece.

"It'll fit in your ear and I can hear everything you say," Kenji said.

Hikari placed the communicator into her ear. That night, Hikari stepped out into an alleyway.

"Hikari, can you hear me?" Kenji's voice said from the communicator.

"I can hear you, Kenji," Hikari said.

"Good," Kenji said. "Whenever you're in trouble, say the word and I'll head right over."

"Don't worry about me, Kenji," Hikari said. "Just take care of Mog."

Hikari began to walk around. On a roof above her, a suspicious person in the shadows was watching her. Hikari felt a presence above her. She turned around just as that person jumped down towards her. Hikari lifted up her sword into a guard as the person slashed down with a pair of katana. Hikari then led the person to a moonlit area. Hikari then got a good view of her attacker.

The assassin turned out to be a young woman about Hikari's age. She wore a black fighting gi. In her hands were two katana. Strapped to her leg was a pouch of some sort. Her face was completely covered except for her eyes, which were blue.

"You must be Dusk," Hikari said.

"Yes," the woman said. "You are the victor of a previous fighting tournament."

"That's me," Hikari said. "The name's Hikari Kamai! Remember it!"

"I will as I take you down," Dusk said.

Dusk charged forward and began to slash at Hikari with her swords. Hikari used her much larger sword to block all of Dusk's attacks. As they were fighting, dark clouds formed in the sky, and rain began to pour down. Hikari tried to slash Dusk, but Dusk ducked and kicked at Hikari's feet, knocking her down. Hikari rolled backwards and got up into a guard stance just as Dusk attacked again. Unfortunately, Hikari's communicator flew out of her ear.

"Hikari!" Kenji's voice shouted from the communicator. "What's happening?! Hikari!"

Hikari and Dusk kept fighting until they reached the docks. Dusk withdrew her swords. She then pulled a couple of shuriken from her pouch. She threw them and began to form hand-signs. Suddenly, the shuriken multiplied in several clouds of smoke. Hikari barely managed to dodge the attack, but she was left vulnerable. Dusk managed to get high above her and began to spin. Sparks of energy shot around her body as Dusk spun faster and faster and fell towards Hikari. Hikari brought her sword up for a block.

When Dusk hit the sword, she bounced off, but the metal blade conducted the sparks of energy straight into Hikari. Hikari was stunned for a couple of seconds because of this. Dusk's crash caused her to be stunned as well. Hikari got herself together and managed to get Dusk at the point of her sword before she could react.

"This match's mine," Hikari said.

Much to Dusk's surprise, Hikari withdrew her sword.

"Why don't you finish me?" Dusk asked.

"I merely wanted to ask you a question," Hikari answered. "Do you know anything about something called the 'Soul Edge'?"

"I do not know what you speak of," Dusk said.

Hikari sighed with disappointment.

"I guess my intuition was wrong," Hikari said. "I'll leave."

Hikari began to leave.

"Wait a moment!" Dusk shouted.

Hikari stopped and turned around.

"I have a question for you as well, Hikari Kamai," Dusk said.

"Go ahead," Hikari said.

"Why do you wield your blade?" Dusk asked. "The way you fight, you don't seem to seek power or glory. Then why?"

"Two reasons," Hikari said. "First, I want revenge against someone who destroyed my home. Second, I'm looking for my family."

Though her face wasn't visible, the look in Dusk's eyes proved that Hikari's answer wasn't one that she was expecting.

"Hikari!" Kenji shouted from afar.

"Kupo!" Mog squeaked.

Hikari and Dusk looked in the distance. Kenji was running towards them with Mog flying next to him. Dusk then formed a hand-sign and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kenji and Mog caught up with Hikari.

"What happened?" Kenji asked.

"I'll tell you in the morning," Hikari said. "Right now, I need some sleep."

Hikari then fell to her knees from exhaustion. Kenji lifted her up onto his shoulder.

"Let's get you to bed," Kenji said.

Kenji helped Hikari to the inn. After a couple of days, the ship was as good as new. Hikari, Kenji, and Mog gathered their stuff and prepared to board.

"Excuse me," someone said from behind them.

They turned around. Standing behind them was a young woman about Hikari's age. She had short, black hair and blue eyes. She wore a dark-blue gi and black shoes. On her back was a pair of katana.

"She's kinda cute," Kenji commented. "Do we know you?"

"Are you…Dusk?" Hikari asked.

The young woman chuckled a bit.

"My real name is Maria, Hikari Kamai," the young woman said.

Kenji looked extremely confused.

"She's Dusk?!" Kenji exclaimed.

"If you're here for a rematch, I'm afraid we have to leave," Hikari said.

"Nothing of the sort," Maria said. "I'm here to join your little team."

Hikari and Kenji looked confused.

"I'm on a similar quest," Maria said. "I too am looking for someone. I believed that becoming a well-known assassin would draw him to me, but I now think that traveling is the best solution. Not only that…"

"Let me guess…you'd rather travel with others than go it alone," Kenji interrupted.

"Exactly," Maria said. "So what do you say?"

"Having an assassin want to join us," Kenji said. "I didn't expect this to happen."

"Why not?" Hikari said. "Welcome to the team, Maria."

Hikari held out her hand. Maria gripped it and shook hands.

"Don't worry about my ticket," Maria said. "I've already paid for it."

Maria then stepped onto the ship.

"This day's just gotten weird," Kenji said.

"I don't know," Hikari said. "Seems kinda normal to me. C'mon, Mog."

Hikari stepped onto the ship with Mog following her. Kenji was the last one to get onto the ship.


	9. Chapter 9: The Mysterious Zasalamel

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 9: The Mysterious Zasalamel**

Hikari, Kenji, Mog, and their new companion, Maria, arrived in Temporus, a town that was famous for having the oldest clock tower in the world. After they got into town, an old man walked up to them.

"I heard a rumor that you were looking for Soul Edge," the old man said.

"You know of it?!" Hikari exclaimed.

The heroes got excited at this new turn of events.

"I don't know much about the weapon personally, but I have heard a rumor," the old man said. "Over there…"

He pointed towards the clock tower.

"I have heard that the famous clock tower of Temporus has information on the two legendary swords," the old man continued. "But only a few adventurers are bold enough to climb it. A curse is said to be put upon the tower. Whoever climbs it is said to disappear forever."

"Are you serious?" Hikari asked.

"Maybe," the old man said. "But that's for you to decide, Hikari Kamai."

The old man then walked into an alley.

"Wait!" Maria shouted.

The four of them ran towards the alley. When they got there, all they saw was a dead end.

"Who was that guy?" Kenji asked.

"Kupo," Mog squeaked.

"And how did he know my name?" Hikari asked. "I don't remember telling him."

Hikari, Kenji, Maria, and Mog made their way to the entrance of the clock tower, which was placed just outside of town.

"Are you serious about going in, Hikari?" Maria asked. "I'm not sure whether we should trust that old man's words or not."

"It's our only lead," Hikari said. "Here's what we'll do: I'll go in first. If I don't come out in an hour, you guys can come in and make sure I'm alright."

"We should all go in together, Hikari," Kenji said.

"If this truly is a trap, then only I will be trapped," Hikari said. "You guys can rescue me later. Just take care of Mog for now."

Hikari opened the door and stepped into the clock tower. Mog cooed sadly as Hikari closed the door.

"Do you think she'll be ok?" Maria asked.

"I'm not sure," Kenji said. "But worrying about her won't help."

Hikari climbed higher and higher up the inside of the clock tower. The staircase inside spiraled higher and higher, making it seem endless. Eventually, Hikari reached the top. At the top was a large slowly spinning cog that she could walk upon. She looked around. She didn't see anything except dozens of clock parts.

"That old man must've been lying," Hikari said. "But why?"

Hikari continued to look around. Above her, the man in the white robe with the staff stepped out of the shadows.

"I cannot allow anyone who knows about the Soul Edge to exist," his voice echoed throughout the tower.

Hikari turned towards where he was standing, but he had disappeared. She kept focused all around her. Eventually, she heard metal clanging against metal. The sound grew louder and louder. She turned around and saw a giant cog rolling towards her. Hikari managed to roll out of the way just in time. After dodging and drawing her sword, the man in the white robe appeared before her.

"Impressive," the man said. "But you still won't go any further."

"So you set this whole thing up!" Hikari shouted. "You said that you know about Soul Edge! Who are you?!"

"I guess I can let you know my name before you die," the man said. "I am Zasalamel. Now you shall die."

He swung his giant scythe towards Hikari. Hikari lifted up her sword to block. She then charged towards Zasalamel. Zasalamel merely pulled his scythe across the ground to trip her. Hikari fell down, but she caught herself as she fell. She then rolled forward and slashed at her opponent as she rose up. Zasalamel barely managed to dodge, getting a light scratch on his right arm. He then kicked Hikari onto her back.

"You are swift," Zasalamel said. "But this will not be enough to defeat me."

"We'll see about that!" Hikari shouted.

She continued to launch attack after attack towards Zasalamel, who blocked every strike. He eventually jumped to the side as Hikari sliced downwards. Faster than Hikari could see, Zasalamel appeared behind her.

"You are not fast enough," Zasalamel said.

He used his scythe to lift Hikari into the air and slammed her into the ground.

"You are years away from ever defeating me," Zasalamel said. "I have had lifetimes of training."

"What?" Hikari groaned.

Zasalamel lifted up his scythe for the final strike.

"**FIRA**!!" someone shouted.

Zasalamel looked up and saw a fireball flying towards him. He rolled out of the way to dodge. He looked up at his new opponent. Standing at the top of the steps were Kenji, Mog, and Maria.

Maria threw a couple of shuriken towards Zasalamel. Zasalamel blocked the weapons with his scythe. He then ran towards the edge of the cog. Maria and Kenji tried to catch him, but when he reached the edge of the cog, Zasalamel jumped off. Kenji and Maria looked down at where he had jumped.

"Did he survive the fall?" Maria asked.

Kenji looked over at Hikari, who was covered with blood and bruises.

"Hikari!" Kenji shouted.

Kenji ran over to her, with Mog and Maria right behind him. Kenji cast a **Cure** spell and closed all of Hikari's wounds. He then wiped off the blood.

"You alright?" Kenji asked.

"Did I really spend an hour up here?" Hikari asked weakly.

"We came up as soon as we heard the fighting," Maria said. "Your Moogle wouldn't stop squeaking until we got here."

Mog flew over to Hikari and cuddled against her.

"You're sweet," Hikari said.

She then passed out. When Hikari woke up, she found herself in a bed in the town's inn.

"Morning," Kenji said.

Hikari looked around herself. She saw that Kenji, Mog, and Maria were sitting around her.

"This is exactly why we shouldn't run off on our own," Maria said.

"What exactly happened in there?" Kenji asked.

Hikari began to tell her friends exactly what had happened.

"So he said that he couldn't let anyone who knows about the Soul Edge live?" Kenji asked. "Does that mean he's fought Kilik and Xianghua?"

"If he did **and** survived, that must mean that he really is strong," Hikari said. "Now I wonder…how did he get that strong? He said something about having lifetimes of training. What did he mean?"

"He's just exaggerating," Maria said. "Nobody can live lifetimes, right?"

Hikari and Maria looked towards their magic expert.

"I have no idea!" Kenji exclaimed. "But I have an idea who might, and we're in luck. His research facility is around here."

"Research facility?" Hikari and Maria asked together.

"Kupo?" Mog asked.

The following day, Kenji led the rest of the group to a large building in a field nearby.

"Why are we here again?" Hikari asked.

"My old friend Kaoru studies ancient magic here," Kenji said. "Maybe he knows something about this."

Kenji knocked on the door of the building.

"Coming!" someone shouted from inside.

When the door opened, a young man with dark-brown hair and brown eyes stood at the door. He wore a red robe, brown boots, and glasses.

"Kenji?!" he exclaimed.

"Kaoru!" Kenji exclaimed.

The two of them shook hands.

"It's been a while," Kaoru said. "I haven't seen you since we graduated from the magic academy."

Kaoru then noticed that Kenji had friends with him.

"I see you brought your traveling partners with you," Kaoru said. "Come in! Come in! Make yourselves at home."

Kaoru prepared tea and snacks for the rest of them and they sat down on couches in a living room.

"So why did you come here?" Kaoru asked. "I doubt it was just for a friendly visit."

"We actually have a question," Kenji said. "Hikari."

"I was wondering if immortality is truly possible," Hikari said.

"I see," Kaoru said.

Kaoru looked deep in thought. Everyone else stared at him with interest.

"I…don't believe that there is a spell for immortality," Kaoru said. "But there is something similar. If you'll excuse me."

Kaoru left the room. When he came back, he was holding a dusty old book. He blew away the dust and peeled back the pages.

"Here it is," Kaoru eventually said. "Here is an ancient spell of reincarnation."

"Reincarnation?" Hikari asked.

"It's an ancient art that is so lost, that I don't know how exactly it is activated," Kaoru said. "Reincarnation is the ability to be reborn again and again."

"Could someone retain their memory when they reincarnate?" Hikari asked.

"I suppose it is possible," Kaoru said.

"Then maybe Zasalamel used the spell," Hikari said. "Why would an immortal being go after Soul Calibur and Soul Edge?"

"Not immortal," Kaoru said. "He still suffers the pain of death, but he cannot find peace afterwards. It's a fate that's worse than death. I cannot imagine why anyone would want such a fate."

"Maybe he wants the swords so he never dies," Kenji suggested.

"Swords?" Kaoru said. "Wait a minute…when you said 'Soul Calibur' and 'Soul Edge'…you're going after the Soul Swords?!"

"Yes," Hikari said.

"That's foolish!" Kaoru said. "Don't you know that the swords are cursed?!"

"Huh?" the rest of them asked.

"Anyone who wields either sword is cursed to continue fighting forever," Kaoru said. "You'll either die in combat or die from exhaustion. And if you wield the darker of the two…"

"Then you'll be possessed by an evil spirit?" Hikari asked.

"Exactly," Kaoru said. "If you know of the blades, why are after them?"

"It is my mission," Hikari said. "Someone who is associated with the Soul Edge attacked my home. I vowed that I would defeat her no matter what."

The whole room was silent.

"I guess I won't be able to change your mind," Kaoru said. "Then at least give you my warning. Do not touch Soul Edge. It might be the last thing you'll ever consciously do."

Hikari's group eventually left the research facility.

"Now we know what we're up against," Hikari said. "Zasalamel won't be easy to beat, but I can't let him wield the swords either."

Hikari and her friends continued onwards to their ultimate destination.


	10. Chapter 10: Rematch

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 10: Rematch**

Hikari and her friends arrived in a town that was nearby a dormant volcano. The problem with this town was that it was completely abandoned. After spending the entire day searching for any sign of life, the heroes gathered at the center of town.

"Did you find anyone?" Hikari asked.

"Nobody," Kenji asked.

"It's as if they all disappeared," Maria said.

"That's weird," Hikari said.

"That's not the weirdest part," Kenji said. "I think this town's been abandoned recently."

"Why?" Hikari and Maria asked.

"When I was looking around, I saw that most of the town was not covered with dust at all," Kenji answered. "And that's not all. I also found that the food in everyone's houses is still edible."

"You looked through other people's food?" Hikari asked.

"That's not relevant," Kenji said. "Think about it. Why would everyone just up and leave without their food?"

They all thought about this for a minute. Hikari then realized it.

"They must've been forced out!" Hikari exclaimed.

"Or their souls were sucked by the Soul Edge," Kenji said. "It could be either one. And I have a feeling that everything leads to the nearby volcano."

They all looked towards the volcano. Dark clouds hung over the top of the mountain.

"I guess we should investigate," Hikari said.

"It is our only lead," Kenji said.

"Let's move!" Maria shouted.

"Kupo!" Mog squeaked.

They all made their way to the volcano. As they left the town itself, two figures in the shadows were watching them. One of the figures was about knee-high.

At the base of the volcano, Hikari and her friends discovered a large opening. Inside the opening were staircases leading down.

"Who's up for going down the spooky staircase?" Kenji asked.

They slowly began to descend downwards. The further down they went, the warmer the air seemed to feel. Eventually, the heat became overwhelming.

"This is horrible!" Hikari groaned as she wiped the sweat from her face.

They eventually reached the lowest and hottest point in the volcano. The area where the staircase ended was a large room filled with lava. On the lava were patches of walk able land. One of the patches of land was large enough to be a fighting arena.

"This is impressive," Kenji said.

"If you can stand the heat, this would make a good hide-out," Maria said.

Hikari stepped onto the large patch of land. She then felt a familiar presence as her friends started to follow her.

"Get back!" Hikari shouted.

Kenji, Maria, and Mog looked confused. Their faces changed to surprise when an attack came towards Hikari. Hikari managed to raise her blade up in time for a block. When she looked at her attacker, a look of anger grew onto her face.

"You again?" Tira said. "I guess I can play with you for a while."

"You!" Hikari shouted. "You attacked my family and destroyed my home! Now it's time for my revenge!"

"Hikari!" Kenji and Maria shouted.

"Let me do this alone, guys," Hikari said. "This is my battle."

Tira charged towards Hikari. When Tira flipped through the air to perform a spinning ring strike. Hikari rose up her blade to block the attack. Tira then flipped backwards and threw her blade. Hikari rolled to the side to dodge. Tira flipped through the air and landed next to her blade, which she picked up.

The two women then charged towards each other for one quick strike. At speeds invisible to the naked eye, the two women shot past each other. As they ran forwards, the clash of metal could be heard. When they stopped moving, neither woman moved for a moment. Tira then fell to the ground.

"You did it!" Maria shouted.

Tira slowly began to stand up, but Hikari had her sword to her throat.

"It's over," Hikari said. "Your fate is in my hands."

The room suddenly grew hotter.

"Master!" Tira shouted.

Hikari tentatively turned around and saw the source of the increase in temperature. Standing behind her was a knight wearing azure armor. His entire right arm was demonic. In his left hand was a gigantic sword with an eye in its center. The knight's eyes were soulless and demonic. The eye of his sword began to look around.

"Who is this guy?" Hikari thought fearfully. "Something about him…I…I can't move."

"An azure knight who wields the Soul Edge," Kenji said. "No! Hikari! It's Nightmare!"

Nightmare first looked towards Tira.

"You have failed me," Nightmare said. "Redeem yourself by killing those two."

He pointed towards Kenji, Maria, and Mog.

"Yes, Master," Tira said.

Tira jumped into the air and landed next to Kenji, Maria and Mog.

"KUPO!!" Mog screamed.

"Guys!" Hikari shouted.

She tried to run towards them, but a large sword appeared in her path.

"Understand, wretched girl," Nightmare said. "Your soul is mine to take."

Hikari raised her sword in preparation for a battle. She then charged straight towards Nightmare. When she was in range, she began to swing her blade, but Nightmare swiftly blocked every attack. Once he found an opening, he struck Hikari on her ribs with his blade. Hikari fell to the ground and her sword slid into the lava.

"My sword!" Hikari shouted.

She then groaned and gripped her bloody rib because of the pain.

"Now for the end!" Nightmare shouted.

He raised his sword into the air. He prepared to slam his sword into Hikari. Hikari closed her eyes and prepared for the end.

"Keep your hands off of my daughter!" a voice shouted.

Nightmare then screamed with pain as something slashed him. Hikari opened her eyes. Nightmare had been pushed backwards. The one who was standing before Hikari now was her father, Kai.

"Dad!" Hikari shouted.

Kai kneeled down to Hikari. He then cast a **Curaga** spell to close her wound.

"Stay put," Kai said. "Don't worry about your friends. Take a look if you want."

Hikari looked over towards where her friends were. Kenji, Mog, and Maria were all ok. Standing before a defeated Tira was Metaknight.

"Metaknight, take care of my daughter," Kai said. "I'll take on Nightmare."

Metaknight's cape turned into wings, and he flew over to Hikari, picked her up, and carried her over to her friends. Once he knew his daughter was safe, Kai prepared for combat. He and Nightmare struck at each other. Their swords clashed as they fought longer and longer.

Kai then jumped back and pulled something small out of his pocket. He threw the object, and a small seal surrounded Nightmare.

"What is this?!" Nightmare growled.

"My wife's invention," Kai said. "It's a temporary seal that uses your own power to keep you from moving. Metaknight, get moving!"

"Yes," Metaknight said.

Metaknight grabbed Hikari and her friends. He then began to fly out of the cave.

"Dad!" Hikari shouted as she was pulled out of the room.

"Stay safe," Kai whispered.

"Do you believe you can hold me here forever?!" Nightmare asked.

"Not forever," Kai said. "Just long enough for this!"

Kai began to focus his energy. His sword then transformed into a purple blade of energy. He then split the energy into two swords, which he wielded in each hand. He whole room began to shake and the lava below began to bubble.

"Impossible!" Nightmare shouted.

"**GIGAGASH**!!" Kai shouted.

He unleashed the energy, which spread throughout the entire room, causing the cave to collapse. Meanwhile, Hikari, her friends, and Metaknight were outside. They then watched as the volcano began to erupt.

"DAD!!" Hikari cried.

"We have to get out of here!" Kenji shouted.

Everyone began to run, except Hikari, who just sat there, tears streaming down her face.

"Move, Hikari!" Kenji shouted as he ran back and began to pull her shoulder.

Metaknight then grabbed Hikari and pulled her away. The heroes managed to flee the area in time before the lava consumed the entire town. When it was all over, Hikari stared at the volcano from a distance. A look of shock covered her face. Also on her face were dried-up tears.

"It's…impossible," Hikari said. "He couldn't have…he can't…"

Everyone else was standing behind her, not knowing what to say or do.

"Hikari," Maria began as she walked over.

When she took a step, Kenji stopped her.

"Let's give her a minute alone," Kenji said.

"But…" Maria began.

"He is right," Metaknight said. "She needs to be alone right now. You two should rest. I'll stay here and make sure she's safe."

Kenji and Maria merely nodded and left. Mog flew over and looked up at Hikari. Because she was sad, Mog was sad as well. The two of them just watched the volcano as the sun set.


	11. Chapter 11: The Torn World

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 11: The Torn World**

Hikari, Kenji, Maria, Mog, and Metaknight were all at Metaknight's training lodge in the mountains. Though they were eating, the entire room was silent. Because of the events that had occurred the previous day, nobody could think of anything to say.

Kenji took a deep breath and prepared to break the silence.

"Well…where do we go now?" Kenji asked. "It's not like we can stay here forever."

Hikari didn't say a single word. She just looked down at her meal, which she hadn't taken a bite from yet.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Maria asked.

"I'm not hungry," Hikari said.

Metaknight put his fork down. He walked over to Hikari and slapped her on the cheek. This move surprised everyone in the room.

"Pull yourself together!" Metaknight shouted. "This isn't over yet!"

"What do you mean?" Maria asked. "Kai sacrificed himself to kill Nightmare, who was the source of the threat."

"Kai sacrificed himself to **delay** Nightmare's plans," Metaknight said. "Nightmare is still alive!"

"What?!" everyone exclaimed.

Metaknight pulled out a folded up piece of paper and handed it to Hikari. She immediately opened it.

"It's from Dad," Hikari said.

The others were interested in the note as well.

"Hikari," Hikari read. "If you're reading this, then the worst has happened to me. But don't cry for me. You must stay strong, for you're the only one who can save our world."

As Hikari read the note, a flashback began. Kai had arrived in the abandoned town.

"This is the source of the power," Kai said. "I don't know what this is, but I must find out."

Kai then felt a presence behind him. He pulled out his sword and turned around. His sword then clashed with that of Metaknight. After a few exchanges of blows, they both jumped back and withdrew their blades.

"You're still as sharp as ever," Metaknight said.

"As are you," Kai said.

"I believe you are here for the same reason I am," Metaknight said.

"You mean the large disturbance of dark energy," Kai said. "I do seem to be drawn to these situations."

"The darkness is strong," Metaknight commented. "Will you be able to fight it."

Kai then sighed.

"To tell you the truth, I don't think I'll make it out of this one," Kai said.

"You handled Shion, the King of All Evil," Metaknight said. "Do you really believe you aren't powerful enough?"

"By what I can understand, we're up against a being older than time itself," Kai said. "It's far stronger than anything I've ever fought, even Shion. I don't stand much of a chance."

"Then all is lost," Metaknight said.

"Not yet," Kai said. "I know a warrior who has far more strength than I could ever obtain."

"Who?" Metaknight said.

"My daughter," Kai answered.

"Are you serious?" Metaknight asked.

"She doesn't realize it, but there's hidden potential inside her," Kai said. "For years, I've been trying to bring it out. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be the right teacher for her. But perhaps you are."

"Do we really have time to train her?" Metaknight said.

"Right now…no," Kai said. "But I'll try to buy us some time."

Kai then began to explain his plan. That's when the flashback ended.

"…so I knew from the beginning that this might happen," Hikari read. "Hikari, you are the only one who can stop Soul Edge from consuming the world. I know you can do it."

Hikari then placed the piece of paper onto the table.

"So what will you do now?" Metaknight said. "Will you give in now?"

Hikari stood up.

"When do we start training?" Hikari asked.

"She's back!" Kenji and Maria cheered.

"Kupo!" Mog squeaked.

"First, you need a new sword," Metaknight said. "Your father left you one more thing. All of you, follow me."

Metaknight led the others to a shed behind his lodge. He pulled out a key, unlocked the door, and opened the door. Hikari and her friends gasped at what they saw inside. The shed was filled with rare weapons and objects. In the back was another door that led to the back room.

As Hikari's friends observed the other weapons, Hikari slowly walked over to the back door. She opened the door and found something inside that amazed her. Hanging on the wall in the back room was Kai's sword, Excalibur.

"Excalibur?!" Hikari exclaimed. "He left me Excalibur?!"

Hikari held the sword with pride. She slowly began to cry.

"If you're ready, then our training begins tomorrow," Metaknight said. "Your father predicted that he could hold Nightmare off for a couple of weeks. We have that long to train you."

"Is that long enough to get her ready?" Maria asked as she examined a pair of katanas.

"There is a way," Metaknight said. "Hikari, in the morning, you'll head to the top of the mountain alone. I'll wait for you there."

Metaknight then left the shed. The following morning, Hikari hiked to the top of the mountain by herself. At the top, she saw Metaknight and a weird door that just stood there.

"What's with the door?" Hikari asked.

"There is a reason I set my training lodge here," Metaknight said. "Hikari, did you know that there are several dimensions? There are many different worlds that connect through hidden portals. This door leads to a different world."

"Really?" Hikari asked as she examined the door.

"In this door, time flows differently," Hikari said. "A week in there is merely a day out here."

"So with two weeks to train here," Hikari said. "I'll be training for fourteen weeks in there?!"

"Exactly," Metaknight said. "There is a catch."

"What?" Hikari asked.

"The conditions in there are much harsher than here," Metaknight said. "One false move, and you will die."

Hikari gulped.

"Are you ready?" Metaknight said.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Hikari said.

"I will be out here protecting the portal," Metaknight said. "Good luck."

Hikari opened the door. Inside the door was a swirling vortex. She stepped inside. The moment she stepped inside, the door closed. She then lost her balance and began to spin. She soon couldn't tell which way was up or down. Eventually, gravity finally re-stabilized. She began to walk through the strange world. The entire world looked like it was torn apart. Deep abysses separated large patches of ground. As Hikari looked around, she saw that the sky was pitch black. She looked to her right and saw a river flowing straight down into the abyss.

"This is just plain weird," Hikari said, hearing her voice echo through the area.

She walked further and further through the strange world. She saw upside-down trees in the sky and many other misplaced objects. She then stepped into a strange, black puddle.

"What is this stuff?!" Hikari exclaimed as she looked at the thick, black liquid.

The puddle began to grow larger and larger. As it did, Hikari began to sink deeper and deeper into it.

"What's happening?!" Hikari screamed.

As she sunk deeper and deeper, her screams echoed through the room until her mouth was under the puddle. Meanwhile, Metaknight was deep in thought outside the strange door.

"Kai, my friend," Metaknight thought. "What were you thinking. Why did you send your daughter to the Torn World of all places?"

When Hikari woke up, she found herself in a completely different part of the strange world. In this area, the broken patches of land were covered with dirt. Sand flew around as if blown by wind, though Hikari felt no wind in the area. She also saw that any grain of sand that flew off of a patch of land disappeared into nothingness.

"This place just gets weirder and weirder," Hikari said to herself.

She then saw the black puddle again.

"I'll not fall for that again," Hikari said.

The black liquid in the puddle rose up and began to take form. It became a small, black creature with yellow eyes and antennae. Hikari drew her sword in preparation for a battle. Hundreds of other black puddles then appeared around her and took on the forms of the same creature. She was soon surrounded by an army of black creatures.

"Come and get me!" Hikari shouted.

The creatures jumped towards her. Hikari swung her mighty blade and swiped the first wave away. She then began to hack and slash at any creature she came across. The creatures attacked by jumping towards her. Several slashed at her with their claws. After a while, Hikari had destroyed many of the creatures. Unfortunately, for every one she destroyed, another would appear to take its place.

"These things are endless!" Hikari exclaimed.

The creatures drew closer to her. Hikari backed up until she backed into a strange wall. She was completely surrounded.

"This must be what Metaknight warned about," Hikari thought. "I'm dead!"

The creatures jumped towards her.

"Stay away from her, you vile creatures!" a voice shouted.

A bright flash of light shot through the area and destroyed all of the creatures. Hikari then looked for the source of the light. Standing there was a strange, white and grey, deer-like creature with a golden ring around its waist. The tips of its feet were golden. It looked towards Hikari with its seemingly all-knowing eyes.

"Are you alright, Miss Kamai?" the strange creature asked.

"How do you know my name?" Hikari asked. "Who are you?"

"My name is Arceus," the creature said. "I will be your guardian in this world. Follow me."

Arceus began to walk through the world. Despite her confusion, Hikari began to follow the creature. They soon ended up in a world with upside-down palm trees, sandy beaches, and an ocean that hung in the air.

"I've got a question," Hikari said.

"What do you need," Arceus said.

"Are you a Pokemon?" Hikari asked.

"I have been called such," Arceus answered. "Why?"

"Well, it's just…I've never heard of a Pokemon that was able to speak," Hikari said.

"I've been speaking through telepathy, Miss Kamai," Arceus said. "It is one of many techniques I have developed over the centuries."

"Over the centuries?" Hikari asked. "Just how old are you?"

"I was there at the beginning of time," Arceus said.

"Hold on," Hikari said. "How is it possible for someone to live that long?"

"That is a secret I cannot reveal," Arceus said. "For the world cannot know such a power."

Hikari looked confused at what was going on. She then tried to come up with another question.

"Where are you taking me anyway, Arceus?" Hikari asked.

"We're heading to your destination," Arceus said.

Hikari felt that her question still went unanswered, but that didn't matter at this point.

They soon reached a spiraling staircase that led upwards endlessly. Arceus and Hikari began to climb the stairs. They climbed for hours upon hours until they reached the top. They stepped onto a large, round platform. Hikari stepped in front of her guardian. She looked around and saw nothing.

"I don't mean to be rude," Hikari said. "But what are we doing here."

She turned around, but Arceus was gone.

"Arceus?" Hikari asked.

She turned around once more and saw a strange door.

"Maybe that's the way back," Hikari said to herself.

She walked over towards the door. When she opened the door, a bright light poured out. As the light grew larger and larger, her shadow behind her did the same. Hikari turned around and saw that her shadow was beginning to rise off of the ground. It took the form of a giant black creature that stood on its legs.

"When looking for light, you will also find darkness," Arceus's voice echoed through the air. "For one cannot exist without the other. But through the tough times, you mustn't fear the dark."

Hikari made a run for the stairs, but they were gone.

"Do not be afraid," Arceus said.

The giant black creature reached its hand towards Hikari to grab her.

"For light will always shine through the darkness," Arceus finished.

Hikari drew Excalibur and prepared for battle.


	12. Chapter 12: Darkness Rises

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 12: Darkness Rises**

Hikari stood face-to-face with the giant black creature. It drew closer and closer to her. Hikari charged forward and prepared to attack. She jumped up and sliced at the creature's arm, leaving a large wound.

"Take that!" Hikari shouted.

The creature's wound immediately closed up. It then raised its fist into the air. As it slammed its fist down, Hikari rolled out of the way. When the creature's fist hit the ground, a large black pool formed on the ground. Several of the small black creatures from earlier rose up from the pool. Hikari managed to slay the creatures as they came towards her. She then tried to slash at the chest of the creature, but the wound she made immediately healed once more.

"How do I beat something that's invincible?!" Hikari exclaimed.

Hikari then thought of something.

"Light can pierce the darkness," Hikari remembered. "How can I generate a bright enough light?"

Hikari then had a flashback from when she was a young girl. She was in the attic with her mother. The attic was completely dark.

"How do we find what we're looking for, Mommy?" little Hikari asked. "It's too dark."

"Here's a little trick I've picked up from your father," Hazel said.

She focused magical power into her hand. A small ball of light appeared. The light illuminated the entire room.

"How did you do that?!" Hikari asked.

"Magical power in its purest form produces light," Hazel answered. "Your father managed to manifest pure magical power into a sword attack. By watching this, I learned how to do this."

The flashback ended. She began to focus magical power into her sword.

"I have to bring out pure magical power," Hikari said. "It's time to do this!"

Hikari's magic surrounded her sword. The sword began to glow brighter and brighter. The large creature began to back away from the light.

"This is it!" Hikari shouted.

She charged forward with her sword. She then slashed at the creature. At the point of contact, a huge blue explosion of light grew and filled the room. When the light faded, Hikari was alone on the platform. She then began to look around for anything else.

"That was cool," Hikari said.

"You've done it," Arceus said.

Hikari turned around, and Arceus was standing there.

"Where were you?!" Hikari shouted. "I thought you were my guardian or something?!"

"Ultimately, you must be able to handle yourself in a fight," Arceus said. "You have done well."

"Alright!" Hikari shouted. "I want some answers! Where are we?! What were those creatures?!"

"You have earned the right to know," Arceus said. "To properly explain where we are, you must know what those creatures are first. Those creatures are the manifested form of the darkness that lies in the hearts of man. They are known as the Heartless."

"Heartless?" Hikari asked.

"They dwell in darkness and aim to eradicate all light," Arceus said. "The Heartless are demonic creatures. Once they consume all the light in a world, it becomes a chaotic mass of darkness."

"Do you mean…" Hikari began.

"This world was attacked by the Heartless," Arceus said. "This world was once like yours. It was a beautiful place. But a rift was opened between the world of the Heartless and this one. Thus, it was destroyed."

"So what are you trying to tell me?" Hikari asked.

"An opening to the world of the Heartless will appear in the world if an exceptionally large dark power is released," Arceus explained. "There is such a power in your world."

"Soul Edge!" Hikari realized.

"Exactly," Arceus said. "Should the Soul Edge absorb enough souls, the spirit locked inside will be released, causing a rift in the world."

"That's crazy!" Hikari shouted. "So what can I do?"

"The power you just released is the key," Arceus said. "You must learn to summon that power at will."

"Is that what I'm going to learn here?" Hikari asked.

"Exactly," Arceus said. "Let's begin our training. We'll first need targets."

Arceus began to focus his power. Several Heartless appeared when they sensed the energy.

"Use your light to vanquish these foes," Arceus said.

Hikari then began her training. Meanwhile, in the outside world, Kenji, Mog, and Maria were eating a meal.

"I've got a question," Maria said.

"What?" Kenji asked.

"Why are you traveling with Hikari?" Maria asked. "What made you want to team up with her?"

"I just happened to meet her in my travels," Kenji answered. "Once I heard about her situation, I decided to be her bodyguard."

"Why were you traveling in the first place?" Maria asked.

"Just to see the sights," Kenji said. "After learning magic at the academy, I felt that traveling would be good for experience. How about you? What made you want to join us?"

"I guess I can tell you," Maria said. "I'm looking for someone."

"You said that before," Kenji said. "Just who are you looking for?"

"My father," Maria said.

Kenji became more interested in her story.

"By what I heard from my mother," Maria said, "I learned that my father is a shinobi from a hidden village. I was told a long story about how my father was on a mission when he met my mother. The two of them fell madly in love."

"What happened?" Kenji asked.

"My mother was from royalty," Maria continued. "When my grandfather found out about their love, he forbade it. Despite their love, they couldn't marry without my grandfather's approval. While they couldn't be together long, they did spend one night together."

"I can guess what happened then," Kenji asked.

"When I was born, my grandfather didn't really approve of me," Maria said. "But he loved my mother enough to let her keep me."

"I've got one more question," Kenji said. "If you're supposed to be royalty, wouldn't you have bodyguards and stuff protecting you? Why would you need to learn ninjutsu?"

"I was never much for letting others protect me," Maria said. "I told my mother that I wanted to study at a nearby ninja academy, and she let me. In fact, she once said that my skill reminded her of my father. Because of this fact, I thought that I might as well look for him. By what I can guess, he'll look somewhat like me, and we'll have similar techniques."

"So you ran away and became an assassin so you could draw him out and find him," Kenji said.

"Yep," Maria said. "I will find my father. When I do, I'll bring him and my mother together so they can finally be happy. I don't care what my grandfather thinks."

"It sounds like a noble goal," Kenji said. "But finding your father won't be easy."

"I never said it would be," Maria said. "But I will do it."

"You know what?" Kenji said. "Your mission kinda reminds me of Hikari's. She wants to find her family too, but at least she knows what they look like."

Kenji then stood up.

"We have to get moving," Kenji said. "If we're going to live long enough to find your dad and Hikari's mom and brother, we'll need to train for the battle ahead. You and I can train together."

Maria then stood up also. The two of them, with Mog flying close behind, left the lodge and prepared for their training.

Fourteen days later, at the base of the volcano, the lava had hardened into rock. The rock slowly began to quake. Eventually, Nightmare's demonic hand burst from the rock.

Back at the door, Metaknight was resting. Out of nowhere, his eyes opened wide.

"He's back," Metaknight thought.

He looked at the door.

"I hope you had enough time to train, Hikari," Metaknight said.

Just then, Kenji, Maria, and Mog came up the hill and came over to Metaknight.

"Did you sense the surge too?" Metaknight asked.

"Surge?" Maria asked.

"I think I felt something," Kenji said. "Nightmare's back, isn't he?"

"Yes," Metaknight said.

"So where's Hikari?" Maria asked.

Metaknight pointed at the door. Just then, the door began to open. The heroes watched as Hikari stepped through the door. She looked ready for battle.

"How did she disappear in that door?" Maria asked as she looked at the door.

"Just how strong did you get?" Kenji asked.

"It took the whole time, but I finally have my technique down," Hikari said.

"So can you beat Nightmare?" Maria asked.

"If I can get him in time," Hikari answered.

"What do you mean?" Kenji asked.

"I can summon up my power long enough for a few attacks," Hikari said. "Afterwards, my energy is drained completely."

"So make the battle quick and easy," Kenji said. "Alright, let's go to battle!"

"Not yet," Metaknight said.

"Why not?" Hikari asked. "We're ready!"

"If we rush into battle without a day's rest, we will be defeated," Metaknight said. "We cannot afford to lose."

"But if we wait, he'll get away!" Hikari complained.

"We must rest," Metaknight said in a stern voice.

"Fine," Hikari eventually said.

They then took the day to rest. The following morning, the heroes got ready to leave.

"I will fly ahead and keep an eye on him," Metaknight said. "You three will walk on the ground. Two of you can sense energy well, so you can follow the trail. Whatever you do, avoid any unnecessary battles."

"We'll see you soon," Hikari said.

Metaknight's cape transformed into a pair of wings. He then flew ahead at a great speed. Hikari turned towards her friends.

"Ready to go?" Hikari asked.

"We've been ready," Maria said.

"Kupo!" Mog exclaimed.

"Then our goal's in sight," Hikari said. "We will not stop until Nightmare's been defeated!"

The three heroes gave one final cheer and began to follow Nightmare's trail. They knew that the final battle was close at hand.


	13. Chapter 13: Getting across the Sea

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 13: Getting across the Sea**

Hikari, Kenji, Mog, and Maria followed the trail of dark energy to a nearby port town. Hikari and Kenji began to look around.

"You're the magic sensing guys," Maria said. "Where did he go?"

"I think that…he went across the ocean," Hikari said.

They all looked at the ocean.

"Are you serious?" Maria asked.

"That's what I sense also," Kenji said.

"Kupo-po?" Mog squeaked.

"Let's ask around town," Hikari said. "We might be able to learn something."

They split up and asked around town. At the end of the day, they gathered at a restaurant to eat and discuss what they learned.

"Nothing!" Hikari exclaimed. "How can Nightmare just stroll in here and go across the sea without anybody knowing anything about it?!"

"Calm down," Kenji said. "He probably did so in the middle of the night, while everyone in town was asleep. We can't expect everyone in town to know."

"Maybe we should just get a ship and cross the sea," Maria said.

"I already thought about that," Kenji said. "When I talked to the ship captains at the port, they said that they absolutely will not sail across the sea at this time."

"Why not?" Hikari asked.

"Apparently, a powerful storm is blowing by," Kenji said. "The storm's making the sea too rough to cross."

"So how do we get across?!" Hikari groaned.

The waitress then came by with the bill.

"I couldn't help but overhear you," the waitress said. "Did you say that you need to cross the ocean?"

"Yeah," Hikari said. "But nobody's willing to go."

"Not by sea," the waitress said. "But maybe you can take an airship."

"Airship?" Hikari asked.

"They're wonderful inventions that fly through the sky," the waitress said. "If I had the money, I'd go across the ocean in one. By the way, you can pay that bill at the front."

The waitress then left.

"That does sound like a good idea," Hikari said.

"There's one problem," Maria said. "We don't have a lot of money to spare. We probably have enough for food and shelter."

"Unless we find someone who'll fly us across for free, we'll just have to wait the storm out," Kenji said.

"But that'll take too long!" Hikari groaned.

They paid their bill and left. The following morning, Hikari was out buying supplies with Mog. She walked by the docks and saw a commotion going on. When she walked to the crowd of people, she saw that a strange man was in the middle of the crowd. He wore a red vest and red pants. On his feet was a pair of black boots. Attached to his waist was a Chinese Sword.

"Did you hear?" one woman in the crowd said. "I heard that he's a Sky Pirate."

"Are you serious?!" another woman exclaimed. "A Sky Pirate?! Here?!"

Hikari got curious and joined the crowd. She walked up and tried to get up to the supposed Sky Pirate. He was telling a tale.

"…and to escape that dreadful island, I used the hair on my back to tie together sea turtles," the Sky Pirate said. "I made a raft out of them and sailed here."

"That's a lie!" someone shouted. "Nobody could do that!"

The Sky Pirate walked up to that person.

"Under a stressful situation, anything is possible, mate," the Sky Pirate said. "I'd say that being stranded on a deserted island is a stressful situation."

"Hold on," Hikari said. "Why are you called a 'Sky Pirate'?"

"Because I pilot airships," the Sky Pirate said.

"Did you say airships?!" Hikari asked.

"Aye," the Sky Pirate answered.

Hikari then grabbed the Sky Pirate and began to drag him away. When they stopped, the Sky Pirate pulled himself away.

"What the hell are you doing?!" the Sky Pirate asked.

"I need you to fly my friends and I across the sea," Hikari said.

"Even if I wanted to fly you and your mates across the sea, I can't without a ship," the Sky Pirate said.

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked.

"My ship was stolen from me," the Sky Pirate answered. "My mutinous crew turned against me and dropped me on that island. So I have no crew and no ship."

Hikari thought about this for a moment. She then got an idea.

"If we can get you a ship and help you man the ship, will you take us wherever we want to go?" Hikari asked.

"If you can get me a ship as fine as the one I used to captain, then I'll be your personal chauffer," the Sky Pirate said.

"Then we have a deal," Hikari said.

Hikari held out her hand to shake his.

"Fine then," the Sky Pirate said. "Let's go."

They shook hands.

"By the way, my name's Hikari Kamai," Hikari said.

"Captain Cid Phoenix," the Sky Pirate said. "Just call me Captain Phoenix."

"Alright, Captain," Hikari said. "I'll get you a ship and meet you at the docks."

"Alright," Captain Phoenix said. "But I'll only wait a week at most. After that, I'll be leaving to check out the horizons."

"Then we have a deal," Hikari said. "I'll see ya in a week."

Hikari and Mog then ran off. They met up with Kenji and Maria and told them the story.

"And that's the story," Hikari said. "We have a week to get an airship."

"Hikari," Kenji said. "It's not going to be easy getting an airship. First of all, very few people even make them. Even if we did find someone who'll sell us one, they don't come cheap."

"It's our only shot," Hikari said. "There has to be someone who'll sell us a cheap airship."

"I don't know if it'll be cheap, but I did hear that an airship shop lies outside of town," Maria said.

"That settles it!" Hikari shouted. "Let's check out that shop!"

The next day, they found the shop. Hikari looked at the sign of the workshop.

"Egg Airships," Hikari read.

"Kupo?" Mog squeaked.

"Let's go inside," Maria said.

They opened the door and walked inside.

"Hello!" Hikari called out.

"Coming!" someone shouted.

They heard crashing and falling. They then saw a young girl in a white lab coat falling down a nearby staircase. When she reached the bottom, she readjusted her glasses and stood up. She had brunette hair tied up in a ponytail and wore a white lab coat and white pants.

"Welcome to Egg Airships," the young woman said. "Or…at least that's what it used to be."

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked.

"We haven't had any business in a while," the young woman said. "But…if you're here…then you must want a ship!"

"That's why we're…" Kenji began.

"My name's Isabella!" the young woman excitedly said. "I'll be helping you with anything you need today!"

"We need an airship," Hikari said.

"Alright!" Isabella exclaimed. "Father! We have customers!"

"I'm coming," an older man said from another room.

He stepped into the room. He was a fat man with long legs. He was bald, but had a large mustache. He wore goggles on his head and glasses on his face. He had a big nose. He wore black pants, a red jacket, and white gloves. He took one look at Hikari and looked surprised.

"You look familiar," the man said. "You wouldn't happen to be related to a Kai Kamai, would you?"

"He's my father," Hikari said.

"I see!" the man said. "Of course! I know your father!"

"Really?" Hikari asked.

"I need to introduce him," Isabella said. "This is my father, Dr. Ivo Robotnik."

"Ivo…Robotnik?!" Hikari exclaimed.

She drew her sword and pointed it towards him.

"Don't trust this man, guys!" Hikari shouted. "He's Dr. Eggman!"

"Who?" Kenji asked.

"He fought my father years ago!" Hikari exclaimed. "He's a bad guy!"

"Hold on!" Dr. Eggman said. "Hold on! I have to admit, I was evil in the past. But that's all behind me now. I've given up all plans on world domination."

"How can I trust you?" Hikari asked sternly.

"You can trust my father!" Isabella exclaimed. "He's not evil, believe me!"

"Hikari," Kenji said. "You should calm down. This guy is our only chance at getting across the ocean."

Hikari then withdrew her sword.

"I guess…I'll trust you for now," Hikari said. "But no funny business!"

"Of course," Dr. Eggman said. "Now what do you need?"

Hikari and her friends explained their situation.

"I see…" Dr. Eggman said. "Unfortunately, we don't have the materials we need to build a whole ship."

"So what do we do?" Hikari asked.

"If you had an older ship, even if it doesn't run, we could fix it and get it moving," Dr. Eggman said.

"But where will we get an airship?" Maria asked.

They all thought, but Hikari was the first to remember something.

"My father once told me a story!" Hikari exclaimed. "Metaknight once flew a ship called the Halberd!"

"So where do we get it?" Kenji asked.

Hikari then became disappointed.

"I…don't know," Hikari said. "I heard that after nearly being destroyed years ago, it was taken somewhere to be stored. I don't know where, though."

"Maybe we could ask Metaknight," Maria suggested.

"He's still following Nightmare," Kenji said. "It'll be impossible to get to him unless we get the ship."

"Kupo," Mog said.

"How can we find a hidden ship if we don't know where it…" Isabella began.

"I remember!" Hikari exclaimed. "Kenji! Remember that feather thing you showed me when we first started?!"

"The Seeking Feather!" Kenji realized. "Of course! It can find anything, anywhere!"

Kenji pulled out the feather and a map. He then placed the feather onto the map.

"Alright," Kenji said as everyone gathered around the map. "Now then, where is that airship?"

The feather spun around. It eventually stopped on a nearby location.

"It's only a couple of miles from here!" Kenji happily exclaimed.

"That settles it!" Hikari exclaimed. "Let's get that ship!"

"We'll go with you," Dr. Eggman said.

"Alright," Hikari said.

"Hold on," Kenji said. "How will we carry a large airship all the way here?"

"Not a problem," Isabella said. "We have a special carrier vehicle. I'll get it out."

Soon, all of them were riding a hovercraft with a strange device on the front of it. They glided across the ground at amazing speed as they headed for the Halberd. But what else will they find there?


	14. Chapter 14: Olcadan of the Abyss

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 14: Olcadan of the Abyss**

Our heroes flew towards the location of the Halberd that was shown on the map.

"How much further, Mr. Navigator?!" Hikari shouted over the roar of the hovercraft.

Kenji examined the map.

"It's just over that hill!" Kenji answered.

"You got that, Eggman?!" Hikari asked.

"On it!" Dr. Eggman shouted.

The hovercraft flew over the hill. Just beyond the hill was a large desert.

"Whoa," Hikari said.

"This old feather can't give the exact location, but the ship is definitely somewhere in this desert," Kenji said.

"We have less than a week," Hikari said. "We have to find that ship."

They began to drive around the desert. After flying around till sunset, they were lost in the sands.

"We're lost!" Hikari screamed.

"We shouldn't worry too much," Kenji said. "If we lose our heads, it'll all be over."

"We won't have to worry," Maria said. "We brought camping gear with us."

"Let's set up camp for the night and search some more in the morning," Kenji said.

They then set up camp. That night, while everyone else was fast asleep, Hikari heard a noise. She immediately rose up and looked out at the desert. She saw sand rising in the distant.

"What's that?" Hikari thought.

After a while, she saw what was happening. Several men dressed in desert clothes were riding on Garchomps towards their camp. They were all wielding swords.

"Bandits!" Hikari thought.

She ran over to wake everyone up. By the time everyone was awake, the bandits had surrounded them.

"All right," the bandit leader said. "Hand over your loot, and we'll let you live."

"Not happening!" Maria shouted.

"Then you will die," the leader said. "Get them!"

The bandits slowly closed in on our heroes.

"I've got a spell I'd like to test out," Kenji said. "I practiced it while you were in the door."

"Then pull it out," Hikari said. "We'll finish off the ones you don't get."

Kenji held out his palm towards the enemy.

"**Graviga**!" Kenji shouted.

The gravity around the enemies increased greatly and crushed them. He managed to get all of them in one shot.

"Nice," Hikari said.

"Kupo!" Mog squeaked.

They then felt the ground shift below them.

"That can't be good," Maria said.

The ground below them then completely collapsed. Everyone, including the bandits, fell down a deep abyss that had appeared in the ground. Hikari felt like she was endlessly falling. Then…CRASH! Everything went black.

"Kupo?" Hikari heard in the darkness.

She opened her eyes and found Mog floating in front of her.

"Kupo!" Mog squeaked happily as he flew around Hikari.

Hikari groaned and rubbed her head.

"What happened?" Hikari groaned.

She then remembered everything.

"That idiot!" Hikari exclaimed. "His spell backfired! Hold on…if we're in an abyss…how can I see you, Mog?"

She then noticed that Mog was holding a small ball of light in his paws that illuminated the entire room.

"Can you use magic?!" Hikari asked.

"Kupo!" Mog answered.

"That's amazing!" Hikari exclaimed. "When did you learn to do that?! Never mind. We don't have time for that. We have to find the others and get out of here."

Hikari and Mog began to look around for the others. They spent hours searching around different corners of the maze-like abyss. Soon, after many dead-ends, the two of them began to rest.

"This place is a labyrinth!" Hikari exclaimed. "We'll never find them at this rate!"

Mog looked over to the side and squeaked loudly.

"What is it?" Hikari asked.

She then saw a bright light coming from down a hall.

"That light," Hikari said. "It could be Kenji using a spell! Let's move, Mog!"

Filled with new hope, Hikari and Mog rushed over towards the light they saw. When they reached the end, however, they realized that they were wrong about what they saw. The light came from a bunch of lit torches along the walls of a large room. In the room was a platform that was surrounded by water. Sitting in the middle of the platform was a strange man. He had an owl's head and feet, but the body of a man. The man had his eyes closed.

"Excuse me!" Hikari eventually called out.

The man's eyes opened. He stood up and looked towards her.

"Who are you?" the man said in a gruff voice.

"My name's Hikari," Hikari said. "Anyway, I was wondering if you had seen anyone else down here. One is a black mage…"

"I've seen nobody else in this labyrinth in a long time," the man said. "Though time is impossible to judge here."

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked.

The man then looked over at Hikari's sword.

"I will tell you…if you defeat me in combat," the man said as he picked up a sword.

"What?" Hikari asked.

"I have trained down here with nobody to fight against," the man said. "Hikari. If you defeat me, I will do anything I can to help you find these friends of yours."

"Get ready to lose, bird-guy," Hikari said.

"The name's Olcadan," the man said.

"Good to know," Hikari said.

The two of them charged towards each other. Their blades clashed against each other as they began their battle. Olcadan jumped back and threw his sword. Hikari dodged it.

"Now you're weaponless," Hikari said.

"Am I?" Olcadan said.

He pulled another weapon off of the wall. This time, he had a bo-staff. He charged forward and began to lunge towards Hikari. Hikari dodged each attack, but she realized something.

"His fighting style's like Kilik's," Hikari said. "Has he mastered both weapons?"

Hikari dodged a powerful thrust. She then sliced the staff in half. She took a swing at Olcadan, but he ducked and kicked Hikari's feet from under her. He then took this chance to grab an axe and shield from the walls. He charged and swung his axe. Hikari blocked with her sword, but she didn't expect that Olcadan would bash her with the shield.

Hikari fell onto her back. She then saw that Olcadan had jumped into the air and prepared to strike down. Hikari rolled to the side to dodge the attack. She got up and swung her sword, which was blocked by Olcadan's shield. They both jumped back. The two of them were breathing heavily.

"You're good," Olcadan eventually said.

"As are you," Hikari said.

"Who is your teacher?" Olcadan said as he withdrew his axe.

"My father," Hikari said. "Kai Kamai."

One of Olcadan's eyebrows rose into the air.

"That name is familiar," Olcadan said.

"What?!" Hikari exclaimed.

"He and I once fought," Olcadan said. "I should've recognized the fighting style."

"You fought my dad?!" Hikari asked.

"He and I were evenly matched," Olcadan said. "I challenged him when he and a sword-wielding sphere came down here to hide something large."

"Sword-wielding…" Hikari said. "You must mean Metaknight! What did they hide here?!"

"It looked like a large boat with wings," Olcadan said. "They asked if they could keep it in this labyrinth. I agreed if he would fight against me. It was one of the greatest fights I've ever had."

"You must mean an airship!" Hikari exclaimed. "Can you take me to it?"

"For the kin of such a great warrior, why not?" Olcadan said. "Follow me."

Olcadan began to walk to the opposite side of the platform. Mog and Hikari began to follow him.

"This is great!" Hikari thought.

Olcadan eventually stopped in a large room. Hikari and Mog stopped right behind him.

"There it is," Olcadan said.

Hikari and Mog looked at the airship. It was much larger than any ship she had ever seen in her life. On the bow of the ship was the image of Metaknight's mask. Hikari soon began to examine the ship thoroughly.

"This thing's in pretty bad shape," Hikari said.

"Time doesn't pass in here," Olcadan said. "That thing's been like that ever since it came in here."

"Hikari!" a familiar voice called out.

Hikari looked and saw Kenji with the rest of the group.

"Kenji!" Hikari exclaimed. "Everyone! You're alright!"

"I can't believe you found it first," Maria said. "Hold on, who's the owl-guy?"

"This is Olcadan," Hikari said. "He's the one who led me here."

"Do you know a way out, Mr. Olcadan?" Maria asked.

"The way your father went out…" Olcadan said.

He pointed straight up. Hikari and her friends looked up and saw an opening extremely far up.

"How can anyone get out through there?!" Kenji exclaimed. "They'd have to fly!"

"Exactly," Olcadan said. "Your father sprouted white wings and flew upwards. That friend of his did as well."

Hikari, Kenji, and Maria looked at him oddly.

"I think you've gone crazy living down here," Kenji said.

"He's telling the truth," Dr. Eggman said.

Everyone looked towards him.

"Your father had a special ability," Dr. Eggman said. "By activating a blood-line trait of your family, he could grow wings made of pure magic and fly through the air."

"That's nuts," Kenji said.

"Not if your ancestor was an Avian," Dr. Eggman said. "You have that ability too. You just have to find out how to use it."

"That might take too long!" Hikari shouted. "We don't have that kind of time!"

Isabella then looked at the Halberd.

"Maybe we can shoot ourselves out of the cannon," Isabella said. "We can then grab the hovercraft and levitate the ship out of the hole."

"You want us to fly out of a cannon?!" Kenji asked.

"Do you have a better idea?" Dr. Eggman said.

Kenji didn't look too happy with this. Eventually, above ground, all was silent until…BOOM!

"Ahhhhhh!" Kenji screamed as he shot through the ground. He landed right next to the hole.

"Are you ok, Kenji?!" Hikari called from down the hole.

"I'm ok!" Kenji shouted.

Eventually, everyone got outside. After an hour, they drove the hovercraft to the hole. Isabella pressed a button, and a strange field shot out of the cannon on the craft. The field surrounded the aircraft and lifted it up into the air. It was eventually outside.

"Thank you, Olcadan!" Hikari called out. "We'll never forget you!"

"Good luck," Olcadan said. "Keep that spirit of yours!"

The heroes then drove away. Olcadan then sat down in meditation. A few seconds later, the bandits appeared in the room. Olcadan opened his eyes and saw them.

"I guess I won't be bored down here," Olcadan said. "Let the training begin, you lightweights!"


	15. Chapter 15: The Lost Cathedral

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 15: The Lost Cathedral**

After bringing the airship to the shop, Dr. Eggman and Isabella began to work on it.

"This is a fine machine," Dr. Eggman said. "We'll get it up and running in no time."

"Great!" Hikari exclaimed. "I'll go tell Captain Phoenix! We'll have Nightmare taken care of in no time!"

Hikari then headed towards town. After she entered town, she immediately headed towards port to find Captain Phoenix.

"Where the hell is he?!" Hikari groaned after searching for hours. "He said he'd be here!"

Hikari passed by a bar. She then walked back to it and looked inside. She found Captain Phoenix passed out on a table. In his hand was an empty bottle of rum.

"WAKE UP!!" Hikari shouted as she shook the unconscious Sky Pirate.

Captain Phoenix was startled so much that he fell backwards in his chair. He stood up and looked towards Hikari. Hikari could tell that he was drunk.

"Oh, it's you," Captain Phoenix slurred. "You got my ship ready?"

"It's being repaired," Hikari said. "Are you drunk?"

"That's a matter of opinion," Captain Phoenix said.

He tried standing up, but he almost fell back down.

"Maybe I am a little drunk," Captain Phoenix said.

Hikari lifted the drunk pirate onto her soldier and began to drag him out of town. By the time they had reached the airship repair shop, the Sky Pirate had sobered up. They walked inside and found that the airship had been fully repaired.

"Impressive vessel we have here," Captain Phoenix said. "It looks as if it can handle the roughest of seas. I wonder if it has a storage space for me rum."

Captain Phoenix continued to examine the ship.

"Your friends filled us in," Isabella said. "You're really planning on taking the Azure Knight on?"

"Yep," Hikari said. "My father sacrificed his life to give me the chance. I won't let him down."

"It won't be easy," Dr. Eggman said. "But I'm sure that you will win."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Hikari said. "And thank you for repairing the Halberd."

"No problem," Isabella said. "If you ever need repairs on a machine, just come to us."

"Thank you," Hikari said.

"Alright, crew!" Captain Phoenix shouted from the top of the ship. "Let's shove off!"

Hikari, Kenji, Maria, and Mog boarded the ship. They waved goodbye to Dr. Eggman and Isabella as they flew away. Kenji and Hikari used their heightened magical sense to lead the ship in the right direction. The Halberd was sturdy enough to fly through the storm without any difficulty. As they flew deeper and deeper into the storm, Hikari and Kenji felt the dark power grow stronger.

"Keep going straight!" Hikari shouted to the captain over the roar of the storm.

"Got it!" Captain Phoenix shouted back as he took a swig of rum.

Eventually, an island came into view. The magical aura that came from the island prevented the storm from reaching it. The only building that could be seen on the island was a strange cathedral.

"That island's not on the map," Kenji said as he looked at the map.

"But that's definitely where the power's coming from," Hikari said. "Captain! Let's dock here!"

"Alright!" Captain Phoenix shouted.

The ship smoothly landed on the edge of the island. After the ship had stopped moving, the heroes stepped onto the island. Captain Phoenix stumbled drunkenly as the came off of the ship.

"How come you can land a ship perfectly when you're too drunk to walk?" Maria asked.

"Years of practice, lass," Captain Phoenix answered. "Years of practice."

He then tried to take another swig of rum, but he realized it was empty. He then threw the bottle away. The heroes immediately stepped into the cathedral. They began to explore the large building. The inside was much like a maze.

"This will take forever," Hikari groaned.

Mog's ears then perked up. He then began to squeak wildly.

"What's wrong with the rat?" Captain Phoenix asked.

"I don't know," Hikari said.

Four skeletons wielding swords then appeared before them.

"That's what," Kenji said.

Each of the heroes began to fight a skeleton. As they fought, they ran in different directions. Hikari used her sword to block every slash that the skeleton threw at her. She eventually pushed him away and performed a spin slash, completely shattering him.

"That was easy," Hikari said.

She looked around. The only one that was with her was Mog. She couldn't find the others anywhere.

"Guys?" Hikari asked. "Guys!"

She and Mog began to search the area. A strange figure watched her from the shadows. Eventually, a skeleton jumped out of the shadows and prepared to strike. Hikari, not noticing the skeleton until the last minute, couldn't draw her blade in time. Just as the skeleton's sword was about to hit her, someone appeared in front of her and blocked the attack. Hikari looked at her defender. He was a man about 23-years-old. He had semi-long blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore silver armor and had a large sword. Over his right eye was a scar.

The mysterious swordsman swung his blade upwards and completely destroyed the skeleton in a single slice. He then turned to face Hikari.

"Who are you?" the swordsman asked.

"Hikari Kamai," Hikari said. "And who are you?"

"My name is Siegfried Schtauffen," the swordsman said. "But you'd be best to forget it. I saved you this one time, but I will not get involved with anyone else's lives."

Siegfried withdrew his sword and began to walk away.

"Hold on!" Hikari shouted. "You should join me and my friends! We're here to stop an evil man. We could use your help."

"If you mean Nightmare, then leave," Siegfried said. "He is my enemy. I will not let you interfere."

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked. "I have to defeat him. Because of him and his lackeys, I was forced to leave home and watch as my father died! I will not leave!"

Siegfried pointed his sword towards her.

"Nightmare is my opponent alone," Siegfried said.

"At least tell me why," Hikari said.

Siegfried sighed.

"Because he is a past I wish to erase," Siegfried said. "Only then can I repent for my sins. If you interfere, I will kill you."

Siegfried then walked away.

"I still don't understand completely," Hikari thought. "But that doesn't matter. I have to defeat Nightmare. But what did Siegfried mean?"

Hikari and Mog continued to look for their friends. Meanwhile, Maria and Kenji ended up together.

"Where are Hikari and Phoenix?" Maria asked.

"I'm not sure," Kenji answered. "But we have to find them."

Maria and Kenji then spotted a man wielding a nunchaku. He had slicked-back black hair. He wore a white jacket with no shirt underneath, a pair of white pants, and silver and brown boots. On his shoulders were shoulder guards that looked like tiger heads.

"Excuse me!" Maria called out.

The man turned to face them.

"Have you seen a drunken pirate or a swordsgirl with a Moogle?" Kenji asked.

"I haven't seen anyone," the man said. "I've been too busy looking for my sworn enemy."

"Maybe we can look with you," Maria said. "What does he look like?"

"He's a big red golem wielding a giant axe," the man said.

"He shouldn't be too hard to spot," Kenji said. "We'll help look until we find our friends."

"Do what you want," the man said. "But when we find him, stay out of it. He's mine."

"No problem," Maria said. "By the way, my name's Maria. My magical partner here is Kenji."

"I'm Maxi," the man answered.

"Alright," Maria said. "Good to meet you."

Maria and Kenji began to follow Maxi through the cathedral.

Upon entering the Lost Cathedral, our heroes have become separated. Will they find each other before the final battle begins? Only time will tell.


	16. Chapter 16: The Climatic Battle

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Chapter 16: The Climatic Battle**

Hikari and Mog continued to be hopelessly lost. Nobody was in sight, not even that Siegfried man that they had met up with earlier. After several hours of searching, Hikari and Mog felt discouraged.

"Just where is everyone?" Hikari asked.

She then heard the clanging of metal coming from the floor above her.

"What's that?" Hikari thought.

Hikari slowly began to walk through the Cathedral. Though she didn't know it, something above her began to swing. Out of nowhere, a cage fell down towards her.

"Look out!" a familiar voice shouted.

Hikari felt someone push her out of the way as the cage nearly fell upon her. Hikari turned around and saw the cage. She then turned to see who had saved her. Standing there was Kilik.

"Kilik!" Hikari exclaimed happily. "Where did you come from?"

"We got here earlier," Kilik said.

"We?" Hikari asked. "That means…"

Xianghua came around a corner. Standing behind her was Phoenix.

"Xianghua!" Hikari exclaimed.

"Is this drunk pirate with you?" Xianghua asked.

Hikari then noticed that Captain Phoenix was indeed drunk.

"I'm starting to wish he wasn't," Hikari said. "Anyway, did you all hear the clanging upstairs?"

"Yeah," Kilik said. "We think someone's in a battle."

"Is there anyway up?" Hikari asked.

"There's a staircase nearby," Captain Phoenix answered.

"Then let's head up," Hikari said. "Whatever that sound is, it can't be good."

Hikari, Mog, Kilik, Xianghua, and Captain Phoenix ran to find the staircase. Meanwhile, Kenji and Maria continued to travel with Maxi. They then heard a clanging noise coming from upstairs.

"It sounds like a fight," Maria commented.

"It could be Astaroth," Maxi said. "Let's move!"

"Hold on," Kenji said. "Who's Astaroth?"

"No time!" Maxi shouted. "I can't lose him!"

Maxi continued to run on ahead. Maria and Kenji did their best to keep up with him. Hikari's group was the first to reach the top of the steps. What they saw was a fight between Siegfried and Nightmare.

"It's him!" Hikari exclaimed.

Their swords clashed, as the two seemingly equal warriors were locked in combat. Siegfried tried to perform a powerful horizontal slice, but Nightmare grabbed his sword with his demonic arm. Nightmare then forced Siegfried backwards. The two then charged towards each other for one final attack. In a flash, the two swordsmen shot past each other. While it seemed to be a draw, Siegfried fell down and began to bleed profusely.

"Siegfried!" Hikari called out as Nightmare stepped forward for the kill.

Just as Nightmare slashed downwards, Hikari got in front of him and blocked his sword with her own.

"You!" Nightmare shouted.

"Guys!" Hikari called out. "Get Siegfried out of here! Find Kenji! He can heal him!"

"What about you?" Xianghua asked, concerned.

"Don't worry about me!" Hikari shouted. "Just…GO!"

As she said that word, she pushed Nightmare backwards with one powerful thrust. She then charged forward for an attack, but Nightmare blocked her with his sword. While Hikari and Nightmare exchanged blows, Xianghua, Kilik, and Captain Phoenix grabbed Siegfried and began to drag him to the staircase. Mog went with them.

"Your soul will soon be mine, girl!" Nightmare growled.

"Don't count on it," Hikari said angrily. "My father gave his all to give me this chance. I won't let him down!"

Hikari and Nightmare then jumped back from each other. They both charged forward and began to exchange blows over and over. Nightmare then let loose a charge of energy that sent Hikari flying backwards. She crashed into a wall. Nightmare then took this chance and grabbed Hikari by the neck, choking her. He lifted her high up into the air.

"Your father's not here to save you now," Nightmare said. "This game is over!"

Hikari's life began to flash before her eyes. She then remembered her training with Arceus. She had just finished her training with him.

"You have finally learned to control the power," Arceus said. "But it is still not enough."

"Why's that?" Hikari asked.

"Your true power still sleeps inside of you," Arceus said. "But it can be awakened if you face your own mortality."

As she remembered this moment, Hikari's body began to glow brightly. Nightmare began to scream with pain as his hand was being burned by the light. Once Hikari got onto her feet, she focused her power into her sword. She then charged forward and sliced Nightmare in half. An explosion of light rose from the point of contact. When the light faded, Nightmare's armor was in pieces.

"It's finally over," Hikari thought.

She then looked at her surroundings and realized she was at an opening. She looked out towards the sky and saw two swords stuck in a fountain. One of the swords was a shining blue, and the other was blood red. The sun began to set behind the sword.

"I'm impressed you made it this far," a menacing, but familiar voice said from behind her. "Not bad at all."

Hikari turned around and saw the robed, scythe-wielding man with the golden eye.

"Zasalamel!" Hikari shouted.

"My dream is about to be realized," Zasalamel said. "You however are not worthy of witnessing this glorious moment. Leave this place at once!"

"You must want to steal the swords to become immortal!" Hikari shouted. "I'm not going to let that happen."

"No," Zasalamel said. "In fact, it's quite the opposite. After countless lifetimes, I will finally get my eternal rest once I use the power of the swords."

"You want to die?" Hikari asked. "Hold on. If you release those swords' power, you'll cause the world to be overrun by darkness! Will you let others suffer to obtain your own death?!"

"I will finally achieve rest," Zasalamel said. "The fate of the rest of the world does not concern me. Leave if you don't wish to die."

Zasalamel raised his scythe high up into the air. The swords that were in the fountain disappeared. Their energy began to radiate in Zasalamel's body. He began to scream with pain as the power overwhelmed him and as he rose into the air. A large flash of light emerged from his body and filled the entire area. When the light faded, Hikari found that the area had changed. Everything was on fire and many cracks could be found in the walls and floor. A small crack was also in the sky. It slowly grew larger as time progressed.

Hikari looked towards where Zasalamel once was. Floating there was a creature of pure horror. He had a skeleton like body with a strange energy radiating in his stomach area. He had demonic wings and a dark scythe that would be fit for a king of hell. He had truly become the manifested form of the abyss that the world was slowly becoming. Hikari could only come up with one true name for this creature: Abyss. From behind him, a blue sword shot up and flew towards Hikari. It landed in the ground to her right.

Abyss threw his scythe towards Hikari. Hikari rose up her sword to block. When the scythe hit, Excalibur flew out of her hands and fell over the edge.

"No!!" Hikari cried out.

"Let the power of hellfire sink into your soul!" Abyss shouted in his dark voice.

"I cannot let the world end like this," Hikari said. "Excalibur or no Excalibur, I will defeat you!"

Hikari then pulled Soul Calibur from the ground. When she first lifted it, she found that it was a smaller sword than she was used to. But in a flash of light, it had transformed into a sword much like her own. Hikari felt the energy from the sword fill her body.

Abyss began to launch spheres of dark energy towards Hikari. Hikari swung her sword, which released a powerful energy that destroyed the spheres. Abyss then charged forward and swung his scythe. Hikari blocked his attack with her sword. She then performed a spin slash and knocked Abyss back.

Abyss then used his own energy to pull Hikari in towards him. He then grabbed Hikari and threw her to the ground. He then performed a somersault and slashed Hikari on her back. Hikari then forced herself to stand up. She then turned to face Abyss.

"I will not let you win," Hikari said. "For my father, for my family, for the whole world, I will end this now!"

Hikari began to focus her power. Her whole body began to glow with a shining white light. Abyss was blinded by the light. Hikari took her chance and charged forward for a final strike.

"TASTE THIS!!" Hikari shouted as she sliced Abyss in his stomach.

All of her power released into the point of contact. Abyss was overwhelmed with the power and rose up into the air. He began to shake and scream. He then exploded. When he was destroyed, the whole area returned to normal in a flash of light. Hikari then looked and saw that Soul Edge was stuck in the ground. Its eye began to move around until it saw Hikari.

"This is it," Hikari thought. "Now to destroy this cursed blade before it can harm anyone else!"

Hikari lifted Soul Calibur high up into the air.

"Wait!" a voice shouted in her head.

She felt that Soul Edge was talking to her.

"Think twice before destroying me," Soul Edge said.

"Why?" Hikari thought. "You have brought nothing but misery to the world! I will destroy you!"

"But I can give you your hearts desire," Soul Edge replied.

Hikari then became hesitant. Meanwhile, Kilik's group was doing their best to keep Siegfried alive. That's when Maxi's group caught up with them.

"Kilik?" Maxi asked.

"Maxi!" Kilik exclaimed. "It's you!"

"Why are you here?" Maxi asked.

"Kilik!" Kenji exclaimed, recognizing him immediately. "Xianghua!"

Kilik, Xianghua, Mog, and Captain Phoenix then saw him and Maria.

"How come nobody is happy to see me?" Captain Phoenix asked.

"Because you're a worthless drunk," Maria said.

"Have you seen Hikari?" Kenji asked.

"Last we saw her, she was fighting Nightmare," Kilik said. "Judging by the lack of sound, I'm guessing that she has won. But right now, we need you to heal this guy."

Kenji then saw Siegfried. He then focused his magical energy into his palm and pointed it towards Siegfried.

"**Curaga**," Kenji said.

A white light radiated from Kenji's palm and healed Siegfried's wounds. Siegfried began to groan.

"Don't talk," Kenji said. "You're badly…"

"Your friends in danger," Siegfried groaned. "The sword…it is…"

Back upstairs, Hikari was still hesitating. A battle was being waged in her mind.

"What do you mean?" Hikari thought.

"You desire for your family to be together again," Soul Edge answered. "Your **whole** family. Wield me. Bring me souls. Once I'm at full power, I can bring your father back."

"My…father…" Hikari whispered.

Her eyes went blank, as if her soul had been sucked from her body. She put down Soul Calibur and slowly reached her hand towards Soul Edge.

"DON'T DO IT!!" Kenji shouted.

Hikari's hand stopped. Kenji had run up the stairs at full sprint. He was breathing hard.

"Don't grab that sword!" Kenji shouted. "It's lying Hikari! Siegfried told us the truth!"

A flashback began. Siegfried had finished his sentence.

"If Hikari has beaten Nightmare, why does she need to beware Soul Edge?" Kenji asked.

"Because…it gives you false promises," Siegfried continued. "It'll search for your heart's deepest desires. It'll then control you using those very desires."

"Hikari's deepest desire…" Kenji thought.

The flashback ended. Hikari was still hesitant.

"Don't listen to the fool!" Soul Edge shouted. "He doesn't wish for you to be happy! He wants to keep you from your family forever!"

"But…Kenji…he…" Hikari began.

Hikari continued to move her hand towards Soul Edge.

"We don't know if your father is dead or not!" Kenji shouted.

This is where Hikari stopped. She turned to face Kenji.

"We weren't there when the volcano erupted," Kenji said. "He could be alive. And even if he's not. Even if you did bring him back to life with the sword, would he want to see you like this?! Would he want you to become a puppet to a sword?!"

"Grasp me, Hikari!" Soul Edge shouted. "I will bring you happiness!"

"Fight him, Hikari!" Kenji shouted. "You can beat him!"

The two voices echoed in Hikari's mind as she made her decision. She immediately grabbed the sword.

"No!" Kenji cried out.

"Yes," Soul Edge said. "Now we will…"

Hikari glared at the sword.

"You…don't…control…ME!!" Hikari shouted.

She threw the sword high up into the air. She then grabbed Soul Calibur. As Soul Edge plummeted towards the ground, Hikari sliced it, breaking it into a million pieces. Hikari then fell to the ground.

"Hikari!" Kenji cried out as he ran towards her.

He lifted her into his arms. Her eyes slowly opened.

"Thank you…Kenji…" Hikari whispered as she passed out.

"You did it, Hikari," Kenji said. "It's finally over."

The sun disappeared over the horizon as Kenji carried the unconscious Hikari towards where the others were waiting.


	17. Final Chapter: Her Journey Continues

Hikari and the Soul Edge

**Hikari and the Soul Edge**

**Final Chapter: Her Journey Continues**

When Hikari woke up, she found herself in a bed on the Halberd. She tried to sit up, but she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She looked down and saw that she had bandages around that area.

"This must've come from the battle," Hikari thought.

She eventually got up and began to walk around. She heard shouting coming from on the deck, so she decided to check it out. So she stepped outside and decided to hear what was going on.

"Why'd you get rid of the rum?!" Captain Phoenix asked Maria.

"Because I'm not having a drunk flyer while we have an unconscious, bandaged-up person on board!" Maria shouted.

"But…the rum!" Captain Phoenix exclaimed.

The two of them then saw Hikari.

"You're awake!" Maria exclaimed.

"Can I have me rum back now?" Captain Phoenix asked.

"It's already in the ocean!" Maria shouted.

Captain Phoenix looked discouraged. Maria then turned to face Hikari again.

"Are you sure you should be walking around?" Hikari asked. "You're still hurt."

"I'm fine," Hikari said. "My dad and I have been known to be fast healers."

"That's fine," Maria said. "Please just be careful. By the way, everyone's eating lunch in the dining room. They'll be happy to see you awake."

Hikari then made her way to the dining room. When she stepped inside, she saw Kenji, Mog, Metaknight, Kilik, Xianghua, Maxi, Xianghua, and Siegfried eating lunch. When they saw Hikari, most of them excitedly ran up to her. Siegfried, Maxi, and Metaknight calmly continued to eat.

"I'm glad you are alright," Metaknight said.

"When did you get here?" Hikari asked.

"After I carried you to the others, I ran out of magical power healing Siegfried," Kenji said. "Metaknight came in and helped you with first aid."

"Which explains the bandages," Hikari said. "Wait, what happened to Soul Edge."

"It's completely gone," Xianghua said. "By the way, we found this."

Xianghua and Kilik handed Hikari Excalibur.

"Father's sword!" Hikari exclaimed as she took it. "Thank you!"

"Anything for you," Kenji said.

"Kupo!" Mog squeaked.

Hikari turned to face Siegfried.

"Siegfried," Hikari said. "I'm sorry that I…"

"It doesn't matter now," Siegfried said. "I underestimated my opponent and lost. But I feel that I have yet to repent for my sins."

"Just what did you mean by that?" Hikari asked. "What sins have you committed?"

Siegfried took in a deep breath.

"I should explain from the beginning," Siegfried said. "Years ago, I was a foolish young man who desired nothing but power. In my search for strength, I had killed my own father."

"What?!" Hikari exclaimed.

"When I defeated the original wielder of Soul Edge, it spoke to me," Siegfried said. "It offered me my deepest desire."

"To bring back your father," Kenji said.

"Correct," Siegfried said. "I was a fool and believed it. When I picked up the sword, I began to follow its commands, slaying anyone in my path and stealing their souls. The more bloodshed I saw, the more I lost my humanity. Soon, I was nothing but a monster. I became the azure knight."

"You were Nightmare?!" Hikari exclaimed.

"Yes," Siegfried said. "But I was soon defeated by a man known as Raphael. When he defeated me, or should I say Nightmare, I regained control. I tore off the armor and got rid of the sword. Ever since, I've known that the only way to repent for the murders I have done is to make sure that nothing like that would ever happen again."

"By killing Nightmare and destroying Soul Edge?" Metaknight asked.

"Exactly," Siegfried said. "But I feel that I have yet to repent. There is still something that I must do."

The room went silent as everyone took in what they had just learned. That evening, they finally docked once again. Everyone stepped off of the ship. As Siegfried was leaving, someone called out to him.

"Siegfried!" Hikari called out.

Siegfried turned around and saw that Hikari was carrying Soul Calibur.

"I want you to have this," she said as she pushed the sword towards him.

"Why are you giving me this?" Siegfried asked.

"This sword was the one that destroyed Soul Edge," Hikari said. "I'm thinking that if anything can help you right now, it's this sword. Besides, I don't need it. I've got my father's sword."

"Thank you," Siegfried said. "This is where we part ways. I feel that my journey must be a lone one."

"Farewell," Hikari said. "Maybe we'll see each other again."

Siegfried then walked away. He soon disappeared into the darkness. Hikari then saw Metaknight as he stepped off.

"Metaknight," Hikari said. "I'm sorry for giving your ship to a Sky Pirate."

"It's no problem," Metaknight said. "I was no longer using that ship. Besides, it was used to save the world. Hikari, you still have a long journey ahead of you, correct?"

"Yes," Hikari said.

"Just remember to keep on the path to the light," Metaknight said. "You must never falter. Your family will be reunited one day. Farewell. I have others who need me right now."

Metaknight spread his wings and flew away. Hikari then saw as everyone else stepped off of the ship. That's when Captain Phoenix prepared to shove off.

"This is where I go," Captain Phoenix said. "As much as I'd like to travel around on your misadventures, my rum isn't safe around your friend."

He was referring to Maria.

"Have fun with that ship," Hikari said. "Make sure not to lose it."

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Captain Phoenix asked. "I'm Captain Cid Phoenix. I don't get rid of a ship this fine."

Everyone waved good-bye as Captain Phoenix flew away with the Halberd.

"Where will you be heading, Kilik?" Maria eventually asked.

"I'll be heading to a grave nearby here tomorrow," Kilik said. "I must say something to someone special."

"If it's on our way, I'd like to see it also," Hikari said.

The following morning, everyone had gone to a large tree in the middle of a field outside of town. Kilik was the first one there. He placed flowers under the tree.

"Wow!" Xianghua exclaimed. "It's so pretty!"

"This is where she rests…the person who saved my life," Kilik said.

He then looked towards the flowers.

"Xianglian," Kilik said. "Everything's over now. We did…the right thing, didn't we?"

"What are you saying?" Xianghua said. "Of course it was the right thing!"

"Yeah," Kilik said.

"Besides," Xianghua said. "This is only the beginning!"

"You're right," Kilik said as he stood up.

He began to follow Xianghua away from the tree. Xianghua began to trip, but Kilik caught her. He then looked into her eyes.

"Xianghua…" Kilik said. "I don't know how to say this. I don't understand it myself either. But, what I do know is that…I want you to stay with me."

"That's just like you…but…" Xianghua said as she drew closer to Kilik. "That's just how I want you to stay."

They continued their embrace under the cherry tree that was in full bloom. From a hill, Hikari, Kenji, Mog, and Maria were watching them.

"That's wonderful," Maria said. "Those two definitely belong together."

"By the way, where did Maxi go?" Kenji asked.

"He disappeared before we woke up," Maria said. "He left a note saying that he was still pursuing Astaroth. I didn't look into it anymore."

"So where do we go from here?" Hikari asked.

"What does your heart say?" Kenji asked.

Hikari closed her eyes.

"I think…I believe in what you said before," Hikari said. "My father is definitely out there somewhere. And if he isn't, we still won't know until we look."

"And I'll be right beside you the whole way," Kenji said. "After all, I promised to be your bodyguard until you reunited with your family."

"How about you, Maria?" Hikari asked.

"It'll be easier to look for my father when I'm in a group that likes to search for people," Maria said. "Why not? I'll stick with you guys till the end."

Hikari looked towards the sun. She drew her sword and pointed it ahead of her.

"Metaknight's right," Hikari said. "We can't falter from our path. This journey will continue. Let's get moving! Where do we head next, Mr. Navigator?"

Kenji pulled out a map.

"A good-sized kingdom near here would be Hyrule," Kenji said.

"Then Hyrule it is," Hikari said. "Let's get moving!"

Hikari charged forward. Her friends did their best to keep up with her. They ran towards Hyrule in search for what they desire. They don't know what lies ahead, but that won't stop them. For the adventurer's spirit lies in their hearts and souls.

_**Fin**_


End file.
